Archived: Moorlands Home Link

Updated 27 March 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 was 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.

This comprehensive inspection took place on 13, 14 and 15 February 2018 and was announced. The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

Inspection activity started on 13 February 2018 and ended on 15 February 2018. It included visiting the office and telephone calls to people who used the service, their relatives and staff. We visited the office location on 13 February 2018 to see the executive manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.

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 reviewed the information included in the PIR along with information we held about the service. This included notifications that we had received from the provider about events that had happened at the service, which the provider is required to send us by law. For example, serious injuries and safeguarding concerns.

We spoke with five people who used the service and three relatives. We also spoke with three staff, the executive manager and the office manager. We viewed four records about people’s care and records that showed how the service was monitored and managed. This staff files for four staff employed at the service.

Updated 27 March 2018

We carried out an announced inspection at Moorlands Home Link on the 13, 14 and 15 February 2018. This was the first ratings inspection since the provider had registered with us in December 2016.

Moorlands Home Link is a domiciliary care agency with charitable status providing care for people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection 24 older adults received weekly support with bathing and/or personal care.

Not everyone using Moorlands Home Link received a regulated activity. The charity also provided a number of other services in the community. These included a friendship and support service to people who were elderly or needed support to go out, day centre in the local community, meals on wheels and transport arrangements via minibuses. These services were not included in the inspection as CQC only inspect 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.

There was not currently a registered manager at the service. 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.

We found that improvements were needed to the systems in place to monitor and manage the service. Improvements were needed to ensure that records contained accurate and up to date information.

Improvements were needed to ensure staff had sufficient guidance available to administer and prompt people's medicines safely.

Improvements were needed to ensure people’s cultural and diverse needs were assessed and recorded to enable a fully individualised care provision.

Improvements were needed to ensure staff had access to training and development.

People consented to their care where they were able to and where people lacked the capacity to make informed decisions the provider was following the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. This meant that people received care that was in their best interests.

Staff were aware of their responsibilities to protect people from the risk of harm. Staff knew people’s risks and supported them to remain as independent as possible whilst protecting their safety.

There were enough staff available to meet people’s needs in a timely way. Infection control measures were in place to protect people from the potential risk of cross infection.

People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts and nutritional risks were assessed and monitored.

People’s health was monitored and health professionals input was sought where needed.

People were supported by caring and compassionate staff and people’s dignity was maintained and their right to privacy was upheld.

People’s choices were sought and respected by staff in a way that promoted people’s individual communication needs.

People’s care was reviewed to ensure they received care that met their changing needs. People received care from a consistent staff group which met their individual needs and preferences.

People and their relatives knew how to complain and the provider had a complaints procedure in place.

People, relatives and staff felt able to approach the executive manager who acted on any issues raised. Staff felt supported to carry out their role.

Feedback had been gained from people and relatives to ensure their care provision met their needs.

The provider had an overview of the service and received regular updates and the executive manager worked in partnership with other agencies

We found there was a breach in a Regulation of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.