Background to this inspection
Updated
11 January 2016
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
The inspection took place on 13 and 14 October 2015 and was announced. We told the provider 48 hours before our visit that we would be coming. We did this to ensure the manager was available as they could be out of the office supporting staff or people who used the service.
The inspection was completed by one inspector and an expert by experience, who made telephone calls to people and staff following the inspection. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
We reviewed the information we held about the service including safeguarding alerts and statutory notifications which related to the service. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.
On the day of the inspection we met the manager at their office. We also spoke with three members of staff, the regional manager and the quality and performance manager. We reviewed 14 care records, training records, eight staff recruitment and support files, audits and minutes of staff meetings. After the inspection visit we undertook phone calls to 16 people that used the service and four staff. We also spoke with health care professionals who were involved in the care provided to people who used the service.
Updated
11 January 2016
The inspection took place on 13 and 14 October 2015. MiHomecare – Clacton on Sea is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care and domestic support to older people who live in their own homes. The organisation offers support to people living in Clacton-on-Sea and local surrounding areas. There are currently 140 people who use the service.
The service has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
There were systems in place which provided guidance for staff on how to safeguard the people who used the service from the potential risk of abuse. Staff understood the various types of abuse and knew who to report any concerns to.
There were procedures and processes in place to ensure the safety of the people who used the service. People were safe because staff understood their responsibilities in managing risk. Where people required assistance to take their medicines there were arrangements in place to provide this support safely.
There were sufficient numbers of care workers who were well supported to meet the needs of the people who used the service. Care workers had good relationships with people who used the service.
Staff received regular training relevant to their roles and responsibilities. They had the skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their care and support needs. Where people required assistance with their dietary needs there were systems in place to provide this support safely.
People or their representatives, where appropriate, were involved in making decisions about their care and support. Care plans provided guidance for staff, had been tailored to the individual and contained information about how they communicated and their ability to make decisions.
Where care workers had identified concerns in people’s wellbeing there were systems in place to contact health and social care professionals to make sure they received appropriate care and treatment.
Care workers understood their roles and responsibilities in providing safe and good quality care to the people who used the service.
A complaints procedure was in place. People’s concerns and complaints were listened to, addressed in a timely manner and used to improve the service.
The service had a quality assurance system and shortfalls were addressed. As a result the quality of the service continued to improve.