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 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 11, 15 and 29 May 2018. 48 hours’ notice of the inspection was given because the service is a domiciliary care agency and the registered 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, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also checked notifications made to us by the provider and information we held on our database about the service and provider.
The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
There were 24 people receiving a service and 131 staff. During the inspection, we spoke with six relatives’ and thirty staff. We also spoke with the registered manager and management team during the office visit.
We looked at five people’s care plans and ten staff files. We also checked records, policies and procedures and quality assurance systems.
Updated
4 July 2018
This was an announced inspection that took place on 11, 15 and 29 May 2018.
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal, palliative and end of life care and support to people living in their own houses and flats. It is located in the Vauxhall area of south London.
This was the first inspection since the service was registered in July 2017.
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.
People’s relatives said they were satisfied with the service provided and the way staff delivered the service.
The service kept up to date records that covered each aspect of the care and support provided for people, the support choices they had made and identified they were being met. They contained clearly recorded, fully completed, and regularly reviewed information that enabled staff to perform their duties well.
Staff were very aware of their responsibilities towards the people they supported, regarding the care they provided and of how people wished to be supported. The care and support was provided in a professional, friendly and kind manner and delivered by staff with appropriate skills.
Staff were aware that they must treat people equally and respect their diversity and human rights. This was reflected by what people’s relatives told us about staff care practices and that they felt people were treated fairly and respectfully.
Staff received appropriate training, were suitably qualified and made themselves accessible to people. They told us the organisation was an excellent place to work; their work was very rewarding and they had access to good training and support.
The registered manager and staff encouraged people and their relatives to discuss health and other needs and passed on agreed information to community based health professionals, as required.
Staff protected people from nutrition and hydration associated risks by giving advice about healthy food options and balanced diets whilst still making sure people’s likes, dislikes and preferences were met.
The service was aware of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and their responsibilities regarding it.
The registered manager was approachable, responsive, encouraged feedback from people and consistently monitored and assessed the quality of the service provided.
The health care professionals that we contacted were happy with the support that the service provided for people.