Background to this inspection
Updated
4 July 2018
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
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This inspection took place on the 5 and 6 June 2018. The provider was given 48 hours' notice because the service is small and the registered manager can be out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be available.
Before the inspection, we checked for any notifications made to us by the provider and the information we held on our database about the service and provider. Statutory notifications are pieces of information about important events which took place at the service, such as safeguarding incidents, which the provider is required to send to us by law. We reviewed the Provider Information Record (PIR). The PIR provides key information about the service, what the service does well and the improvements the provider plans to make.
The inspection was carried out by two adult social care inspectors and an expert by experience, which is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. Activity for one inspector was limited to phoning care staff to ask them their views of the service.
There were four people using the service at the time of our inspection visit. During the inspection we spoke with two people who use the service and three relatives. We also spoke to three care staff, and the registered manager. We spoke to the local authority quality team who had been working with the provider.
We reviewed the care records for four people using the service to see if they were up-to-date and reflective of the care which people received. We also looked at records for all three members of staff, including details of their recruitment and training. We reviewed further records relating to the management of the service, including complaint records, spot checks, policy documents and staff meeting minutes to see how the service was run.
Updated
4 July 2018
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to older adults living in their own homes. This was the first inspection for the service that was registered in May 2017.
The service had a registered manager in post. 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
The service helped people to stay safe. Staff knew about abuse and how to report it and other incidents or accidents which took place. Risks to people were assessed and updated and there were systems in place to ensure there was enough staff to meet people's needs.
People were supported to take their medicines safely and in accordance with the prescribed instructions. Staff members received the training, support and development opportunities they needed to be able to meet people's needs.
People’s needs were assessed and care plans were developed to identify what care and support people required. People said they were involved in their care planning and were happy to express their views or raise concerns. When people’s needs changed, this was quickly identified and prompt, appropriate action was taken to ensure people’s well-being was protected.
People experienced positive outcomes because of the service they received and gave us excellent feedback about their care and support.
People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. People’s views on the service were regularly sought and acted on.
Staff were motivated and proud to work for the service; and as a result, new staff had remained working for the agency, ensuring that continuity of care was in place for people who used the service.
Staff were respectful of people’s privacy and maintained their dignity.
The service followed safe recruitment practices and carried out appropriate checks before staff started supporting people.
The registered manager demonstrated leadership and a good understanding of the importance of effective quality assurance systems. There were processes in place to monitor quality and understand the experiences of people who used the service. We saw that regular visits and phone calls had been made using the service and their relatives to obtain feedback about the staff and the care provided.
The service worked in co-operation with other organisations such as healthcare services to deliver effective care and support.
The service listened and responded to people’s concerns and complaints, and used this to improve the quality of care. The service learnt lessons and made improvements when things went wrong.