Comfort Call- Aspen Gardens

Updated 29 September 2018

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 the 5 September 2018 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location was a service for people who are often out during the day; we needed to be sure that someone would be in. The inspection team consisted of one adult social care inspector, a pharmacy inspector and an expert by experience who made telephone calls to people and their relatives. 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 other information we held about the service, including any statutory notifications we had received from the provider. Notifications are changes, events or incidents that the provider is legally obliged to send us within the required timescale. Before the inspection, we also contacted the local authority commissioners for the service and the local authority safeguarding team to gain their views of the service provided.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used this information to support the inspection planning.

We looked at four care records in full and four care records relating to medicines for people who used the service. We examined three sets of staff files which covered recruitment, supervision and training records and various records about how the service was managed.

We spoke to eight people who used the service and two relatives over the telephone, the regional manager, manager and five staff members. For the staff were not available on the office day, we provided a questionnaire for them to complete and we received 17 back.

Updated 29 September 2018

This inspection took place on 5 September 2018 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location was a service for people who are often out during the day; we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

Comfort Call Stockton is a domiciliary care agency that provides care and support to people in their own homes in the community or an extra care living scheme. At the time of the inspection the service provided care and support for 173 people.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. However, we found the provider was not always notifying the Care Quality Commission of certain events they are required to by law. We took action about this outside the inspection process. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

There was a manager in post who was in the process of becoming registered. A registered manager is a person who has registered with CQC 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.

The provider had arrangements in place to protect people from risks to their safety and welfare, including the risks of avoidable harm and abuse. Staffing levels were sufficient to support people safely and in line with their agreed care visits. Recruitment processes were in place to make sure the provider only employed workers who were suitable to work in a care setting. There were arrangements in place to protect people from risks associated with the management of medicines and the spread of infection.

Care and support were based on detailed assessments and care plans, which were reviewed and kept up to date. Staff received appropriate training and supervision to maintain and develop their skills and knowledge to support people according to their needs. People's rights were protected by staff who under stood the Mental Capacity Act and how this applied to their role. Where appropriate, people were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain their health and welfare. People were supported to access healthcare services, such as GPs.

Care workers had developed caring relationships with people they supported. People were supported to take part in decisions about their care and treatment, and their views were listened to. Staff respected people's independence, privacy, and dignity.

People's care and support considered people's abilities, needs and preferences, and reflected their physical, emotional and social needs. People were kept aware of the provider's complaints procedure, and complaints were managed in a professional manner.

Effective management systems were in place to monitor the quality of care provided and to promote people's safety and welfare.