Background to this inspection
Updated
30 December 2021
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was completed by one inspector.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses, flats and specialist housing.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission, they were also the provider. Both registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service notice of the inspection. This was because the inspection was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and we needed to be sure that the provider would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 6 December 2021 and ended on 14 December 2021. We visited the office location on 7 December 2021.
What we did before the inspection
We used information received about the service since their date of registration. We contacted local stakeholders to gather feedback on the care provided. This included the local authority commissioning team. On the 6 December 2021 we made phone calls to four people who used the service and two people’s relatives to gather feedback about the care provided.
The provider was not asked to send us a provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.
During the inspection
We reviewed a range of records including the relevant sections of three people’s care records and medicines records. We looked at eight staff files in relation to recruitment and supervision. We reviewed other records related to the management of the service, including the provider’s policies and staff training records.
We spoke with six members of staff including, the registered manager and provider, the office manager, one senior support worker and three support workers.
What we did after the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.
Updated
30 December 2021
About the service
Choice Support and Care Services Ltd is a domiciliary care service. It provides care for people living in their own houses and flats. People are supported in their own homes so that they can live as independently as possible. CQC regulates the personal care and support. There were 14 people using this service at the time of our inspection. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. 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 using this service and what we found
Staff had not always been recruited in line with the provider’s recruitment process. There were enough care staff to meet people’s needs and checks were made to ensure staff were competent to provide safe care. The provider had taken steps to help reduce risks to people from abuse and looked for ways to improve when things had gone wrong. Systems were in place to safely manage people’s medicines and risks, and actions to reduce them, were identified; however some updates were required to the provider’s medicines policy. Measures were in place to help prevent and control infections, including those from COVID-19.
Assessments were completed on people’s health and care needs and these were kept under review. Staff were trained in areas relevant to people’s needs. Care staff helped with people’s meals and drinks and knew people’s dietary requirements when this was needed. The involvement of other health and social care professionals in people’s care helped to promote people’s health and well-being.
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.
Care staff provided a caring service and respected people’s privacy, dignity and diversity. People were supported in their independence. People were involved in their care decisions.
Care staff knew people well and understood their needs and supported their choices. People’s communication needs were assessed and any methods to help with communication were identified. People were supported to be active and involved in their local communities. A complaints process was in place should a person wish to raise any concerns.
Governance policies and procedures were in place; some required updates which the registered manager was completing. Checks were made on the quality and safety of services. The management team were approachable and communicated with people, relatives and other professionals involved in people’s care regularly. People and care staff were involved and engaged with 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 and update:
This service was registered with us on 11 February 2019 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Choice Support and Care Services Ltd on our website at www.cqc.org.uk
Follow up
We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.