13th and 14th October 2015
During a routine inspection
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.