We carried out a review of the data available to us about Essential Care Support on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Essential Care Support, you can give feedback on this service.
Essential Care Support is a community-based care provider that provides personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of inspection there were 42 people including younger adults, older people living with dementia, people living with a physical disability or sensory impairment, in receipt of the regulated activity of personal care.
Everyone who received support at the time of our inspection 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
People received risk-based care, staff used risk assessments and risk management tools that mitigated risks to people. Recruitment processes helped to ensure staff were recruited safely. There were sufficient staff to support people safely with their scheduled care calls. Staff had received training in safeguarding and knew the actions to take to keep people safe. Overall, people's medicines were managed safely. The provider had infection control policies and procedures in place to guide staff on how to reduce the risk of infections.
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 the assessment of people’s mental capacity to determine how and when best interests decisions were made. Staff received induction and training in their role. The service worked with health and social care professionals to improve outcomes for people.
There was not a registered manager in place at the time of our inspection visit. The management team worked together to implement audits and governance systems to identify areas of improvement. Staff spoke positively about leaders at 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
The last rating for this service was good (published August 2018). At this inspection this rating has remained the same.
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions of Safe, Effective and Well-led which contain those requirements. The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has remained as good.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Essential Care Support on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
The registered manager had left the service and deregistered with us in September 2017. The provider had begun the application process to become the 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 were protected from the risks of abuse because staff received training in safeguarding people and understood their responsibility to report any concerns. The provider checked staff were suitable for their role before they started working for the service.
People's care plans explained the risks to their individual health and wellbeing and the actions staff should take to support them safely. Care plans were updated when people's needs changed.
Staff were trained in safe medicines administration and in how to minimise the risks of infection.
The provider made sure there were enough staff, with the right skills and experience to support people effectively, and in line with their agreed care plan.
Where required, people were supported to eat according to their preferences. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies, procedures and staff training supported this least restrictive practice.
People felt they were supported by staff who genuinely cared for them as individuals. Staff understood people's diverse needs and interests and encouraged them to maintain their independence according to their wishes and abilities.
Staff were happy working for the service and felt supported to build relationships with individual people based on trust. Staff supported people and encouraged them to maintain links with their community, according to their needs and preferences. Staff respected people's privacy and promoted their dignity. People were confident any complaints and concerns they raised would be dealt with promptly.
The provider’s quality monitoring programme included regular, scheduled monitoring of staff’s competence and seeking people’s and relatives views of the service, to ensure quality improvements focused on people’s experience.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.