Helping Hand Homecare

Helping Hand Homecare is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 40 people using the service. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

People’s experience of the service and what we found:

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff had received training in safeguarding people from abuse and avoidable harm. People told us they felt safe with staff from the service. Risks to people were identified and well managed. There were safe systems of recruitment in place and sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people’s needs. People were supported to receive their medicines safely. People told us staff always wore appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Staff had the skills, and experience to deliver effective care and support. People were supported with their nutritional needs. Staff and the provider worked well with other professionals.

The provider and staff knew people very well. Staff spoke in caring and respectful terms about people they supported. People spoke very positively about staff and the support they received. A person said, “I asked [provider] to send staff who will chat and have a laugh. They’re all brilliant.” People were supported to express their views and make decisions about their care. Staff respected people’s individuality and choices.

People were supported as individuals, in line with their needs and preferences. Care records were person-centred and gave information about peoples likes, dislikes and preferences. People were supported on activities they chose, such as day trips, visits to local shops, cafes, and pubs. People told us they knew how to complain but were satisfied with the service provided and didn’t have any complaints.

There was a range of oversight, quality monitoring and auditing in place. The provider was committed to people receiving responsive person-centred care and support, that achieved good outcomes for people. Staff we spoke with shared this commitment. People told us they were asked their opinions on the service and could easily raise any issues. Staff told us they felt listened to, valued and supported. Staff enjoyed their jobs. Staff and people we spoke with were all complimentary about the provider and the service.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 7 February 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by the time since our last inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Helping Hand Homecare on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow Up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Helping Hand Homecare is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses, apartments or flats in the community. It provides a service to adults and people with a physical disability. At the time of this inspection 27 people received a domiciliary care service in their own homes.

The owner (provider) of the service is also the registered manager. Throughout this report we refer to them as the 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.

Not everyone using Helping Hand Homecare receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also take into account any wider social care provided.

People were protected from harm by staff that recognised the signs of abuse and were confident to raise concerns. Personalised care plans and risk assessments were in place and there was enough staff to safely provide care and support.

People were supported to make choices in relation to their food and drink and to maintain good health.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff understood the principles of the mental health act.

There were safe recruitment processes to prevent unsuitable staff working with vulnerable people. We recommended that the registered manager evidenced more clearly what new staff had learnt during their induction and reflected this in their supervisions.

The administration of medicines was well managed, there were robust systems in place to ensure people received their medicines safely and people received support from health professionals when required.

Documentation was in place to record accidents and incidents.

The care and support people received was person centred. Staff were kind and treated people with dignity and respect and their independence was promoted. They were sensitive to people’s needs regarding equality, diversity and their human rights, as their choices and preferences were respected.

Feedback systems were in place where the views of people and relatives were sought. People were given information on how to raise a complaint should they choose to do so.

The registered manager led a good service. Staff said the management team were approachable and supportive and there were good working relationships with health and social care professionals.

The safety and quality of support people received was monitored and the provider completed quality assurance audits to drive continuous improvement of the service.