Archived: Carewatch (South Midlands) Harborough Branch

The service provided personal care to adults with a variety of needs living in their own homes. This included people living with dementia, physical disabilities, older people, people with learning disabilities, children, people who misuse drugs and people with an eating disorder. At the time of the inspection there were 106 people using the service.

The service had 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.

People told us that they felt safe when staff supported them.

Risk assessments were in place which set out how to support people in a safe manner. The service had safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures in place. Staff were aware of their responsibilities in these areas.

People told us that staff arrived on time for appointments to support them. We saw that there was a system in place that monitored the time staff arrived and left each appointment.

People were supported to take their medicines by care workers who had received training in medicines management.

When people started to use the service a care plan was developed that included information about their support needs, likes, dislikes and preferences. This meant that staff had the relevant information to meet people’s needs.

People were prompted to maintain a balanced diet where they were supported with eating and drinking. People were supported to access healthcare services and staff monitored people for changes in their health and well-being.

Care workers were supported through training and supervision to be able to meet the care needs of people they supported. They undertook an induction programme when they started work at the service.

Staff told us that they sought people’s consent prior to providing their care.

Staff developed caring relationships with people and understood people’s needs and preferences.

People were involved in decisions about their support. They told us that staff treated them with respect.

People were involved in the assessment and review of their needs.

The service was well organised and led by a registered manager who understood their responsibilities under the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009.

The provider carried out monitoring in relation to the quality of the service that people received.

We spoke with the six members of staff, the acting manager, area manager and the managing director. We also had contact with the local authority.

We looked at some of the records held in the service, including the care files for 13 people who used the service.

We considered all the evidence we had gathered under the outcomes we inspected. We used the information to answer the five questions we always ask. This is a summary of what we found.

Is the service safe?

People who used the service told us they felt safe with the staff that supported them.

Whilst people had received an assessment of their needs and care plans had been developed, we found some concerns with risk assessments. Some people had not had all their needs appropriately risk assessed. This meant staff were not fully aware of information they needed to know to keep people safe.

Not all care plans had been reviewed to make sure they were up to date and reflected people's needs.

The systems in place to enable people to contact the service for assistance, had shortfalls which put people at unnecessary risk. People found it difficult to contact the service when they needed to.

Is the service effective?

People told us they had been involved in their assessment and reviews of their care package. People said they were supported in a way that met their needs, preferences and routines. However, the majority of people who used the service told us the quality of the service had declined recently. For example, they did not always know what staff would support them and when.

People told us they found staff to be respectful and caring, and their consent was sought before care and support was provided.

We found some concerns with the provider's practice, in relation to supporting people who may not have had the capacity, to consent to their care and support. Policies and procedures lacked information and guidance.

The agency failed to support its staff appropriately. Staff rotas were often given to staff with short notice. Insufficient travelling times sometimes impacted, on the staff's ability to provide the service that people expected.

Is the service caring?

On the whole people told us they found the staff kind, caring and supportive. People gave examples of how staff made a difference to their lives, and supported them to live independently in the community.

We found staff to be dedicated, caring, compassionate and knowledgeable about the people they cared for.

Whilst the service was experiencing difficulties, we found the provider acknowledged the shortfalls, and demonstrated a commitment to improve the service.

Is the service responsive?

People told us they had made complaints about the service. Not all people we spoke with felt their complaints had been resolved to a satisfactory conclusion.

We found some concerns with the provider's complaints policy and procedure. The procedure for recording complaints did not fully show the complaints people told us about. The system for recording complaints were incomplete.

Is the service well-led?

The provider had quality assurance systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. However, we found these systems had failed to ensure people received a quality service at all times.

We found concerns with the systems in place to monitor staff training and support. Staff had not received opportunities to discuss and review their practice and development needs. Some staff had not received refresher training as required.

People told us they liked the staff at Carewatch. One person said, 'They are genuinely caring people. Some of them have looked after their own family members and it has given them an insight into what caring for is all about.' Another commented, 'The staff are all vey nice. They've all got their own way of doing things but each one of them does it right.'

Since we last inspected the company that owns Carewatch (South Midlands) Harborough Branch has restructured some of its services. The Harborough branch has kept its office in Market Harborough, and taken over some of the work of the company's Broughton Astley branch.