Background to this inspection
Updated
20 September 2019
The inspection
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 is 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.
Inspection team
The inspection team consisted of 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. The Expert by Experience involved in this inspection had personal experience of caring for an older family member who used regulated services.
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 24 hours’ notice because the manager and office staff are often out of the office supporting care staff or providing care. We needed to be sure they would be in the office to support the inspection. Inspection site visit activity started on 8 July 2019 and ended on 9 July 2019.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with the registered manager and reviewed a range of records. This included 10 care records for people using the service, including risk assessments. We looked at eight staff files in relation to recruitment and supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service including staff training and quality assurance were reviewed.
After the inspection
We sought feedback from the local authority. We spoke with five people who used the service, five relatives and six care staff. The provider sent us documentation we requested.
Updated
20 September 2019
About the service Care Central (Tottenham) is domiciliary care agency providing a service to 110 people. 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. At the time of the inspection, 101 people were receiving a personal care service.
People’s experience of using this service
People using the service had risk assessments carried out to protect them from avoidable harm or abuse. Staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures. People’s medicines were managed safely.
We have made a recommendation about personal protective equipment.
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.
Staff were supported to carry out their role. People’s care needs were assessed before they began to use the service. Staff supported people with their nutritional and healthcare needs when required.
We have made a recommendation about the recording in people's care plans of specific health conditions.
People and relatives thought staff were caring. Staff described how they got to know people’s care needs and developed positive relationships. The service involved people and relatives in decisions about the care. Staff promoted people’s choices and knew how to provide an equitable service. People’s privacy, dignity and independence were promoted.
Care plans were personalised and contained people’s preferences. The provider understood how to meet people’s communication needs. Where required, staff supported people to participate in activities of their choosing. The provider dealt with complaints appropriately. The service had a policy and systems in place to provide people with end of life care if needed.
The provider had systems in place to carry out regular quality checks and to capture feedback from people about the quality of the service in order to identify areas for improvement. Staff had regular meetings to be updated on service developments. The service worked in partnership with other agencies to provide good outcomes for people.
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 18 July 2018) and there were two breaches of regulation. 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 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.