4 January 2018
During a routine inspection
The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would available in the office. It also allowed us to arrange to visit people receiving a service in their own homes.
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes in the community. It provides a service to adults and children with complex needs. At the time of the inspection the agency was providing a service to 14 people. Individual packages of care delivered ranged from five hours to 24 hour care.
This was the first inspection of the service since they registered at their current address. Apart from the office address there have been no other changes to the registration of this service.
There was a registered manager in post. 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.
People were very happy with the care they received and said they would recommend the agency. One person said, “I don’t think you could find a more professional outfit.”
The provider had systems to make sure people received a high standard of care and support. These included good support for staff, effective quality monitoring and open and transparent communication with people using the service and other professionals.
People received information about how to make a complaint and all said they would be comfortable to raise their concerns with the registered manager or a member of staff. Where complaints had been made these had been fully investigated and responded to.
There were systems in place to minimise risks and people said they felt safe with the staff who supported them. One person told us, “I always feel very safe with them.”
People were cared for by small teams of staff who received specialist training to meet their individual needs. People using the service and their relatives valued the consistent staff teams. One relative told us, “The carers we have are perfect for us, we all share a sense of humour which always makes life easier.”
Staff made sure people’s care was planned and delivered in accordance with up to date best practice guidelines. The consistent staff teams meant changes in people’s needs were quickly identified and responded to.
The service worked in partnership with other organisations to make sure people’s needs were met. People, or their representatives, were involved in discussions and decisions about their care and support.
People told us staff were kind and caring and respected their privacy and dignity. One person said, “They are excellent and extremely caring.” Another person told us, “They are all brilliant. I think of them as family - I love them.”