Background to this inspection
Updated
27 April 2015
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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.
This was an announced inspection and took place on 27 and 28 January 2015. 48 hours’ notice of the inspection was given because the service is a domiciliary care agency and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.
Before the inspection, we checked notifications made to us by the provider, safeguarding alerts raised regarding people using the service and information we held on our database about the service and provider.
The inspection was carried out by an inspector and 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 service.
During the inspection, we spoke with eight people using the service, six staff who provided direct care, three senior staff and the registered manager.
During our visit we looked at copies of four care plans that were kept in the office as well as on site. Information included needs assessments, risk assessments, feedback from people using the service, relatives, staff training, supervision and appraisal systems and quality assurance.
We looked at the personal care and support plans for eight people using the service.
Updated
27 April 2015
This was an announced inspection that took place on 27 and 28 January 2015.
The agency provides short term domiciliary re-enablement care contracted by the local authority. It also provides longer term personal care. Re-enablement is the process whereby people are supported to regain the skills to live independently. There were 83 people receiving a service.
There was 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
In April 2013, our inspection found that the service met the regulations we inspected against. At this inspection the home met the regulations.
People told us they were very happy with the service provided. The designated tasks were carried out to their satisfaction, they felt safe and the staff team and organisation really cared. The service provided was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.
The records were kept up to date and covered all aspects of the care and support people received their choices and identified and met their needs. They contained clearly recorded, fully completed, and regularly reviewed information that enabled staff to perform their duties well.
The staff we spoke with where knowledgeable about the people they supported, the way they liked to be supported and worked well as a team. They had appropriate skills and provided care and support in a professional, friendly and supportive way that was focussed on the individual.
People and their relatives were encouraged to discuss health and other needs with staff and had agreed information passed on to GP’s and other community based health professionals, as required.
People were protected from nutrition and hydration associated risks with balanced diets that also met their likes, dislikes and preferences. People were positive about the choice and quality of the service provided.
The staff were well trained, knowledgeable, professional and accessible to people using the service and their relatives. Staff said the organisation was a good one to work for and they enjoyed their work at Housing and Care 21 Richmond. They had access to good training, support and there were opportunities for career advancement.
People said the management team and organisation were approachable, responsive, encouraged feedback from them and consistently monitored and assessed the quality of the service provided.