Background to this inspection
Updated
11 December 2019
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 carried out by two inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider 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 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 24 October 2019 and ended on 25 October 2019. We visited the office location on 24 October 2019 and contacted people by telephone to gather their views on 25 October 2019.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the 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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with seven people who used the service and two people's relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke five staff and with the registered manager (who was also the nominated individual). The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.
We reviewed a range of records. These included care and medicine records for five people. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision, and we examined a variety of records relating to the management of the service.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.
Updated
11 December 2019
About the service
Triple Care Healthcare Services is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to older adults and younger disabled adults. At the time of our inspection Triple Care Healthcare Services were supporting 34 people.
Not everyone who uses the service may receive 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
People were positive about the support and care they received from the staff at Triple Care Healthcare.
Care plans gave staff enough information to provide care and support that met people’s preferences. We have made a recommendation about increasing the detail in end of life care plans so that staff would have a better understanding of the impact of people’s religious or faith-based needs.
People told us they felt safe with the staff. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities in keeping people safe from harm, for example by managing risk without compromising people’s rights. People were safe because, where necessary, their medicines were managed by staff in a safe way. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. People told us that staff arrived on time and stayed the allocated time.
Staff received training and supervision to ensure they kept up to date on best practice and had the skills to meet people’s individual needs. Staff worked with other health care agencies to ensure people were supported to remain healthy.
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.
People told us they were supported by kind and caring staff that took time to get to know them as individuals. People were involved in day to day decisions on the care they received.
Where complaints had been received these had been responded to in a positive way, and changes had been made to address the concerns that had been raised.
Quality monitoring systems were in place, and the provider completed various audits to assist them in monitoring and helping them to identify how to improve people's experiences. People told us they felt the service was well managed.
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)
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 27 October 2018). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.