Archived: Swanstaff Recruitment Ltd

The inspection was carried out by one inspector. They visited the office where the service is based and made telephone calls to speak to staff and a relative after the inspection. There was only one person who used the service at the time of our inspection. The person who used the service was not able to give their views verbally but we spoke with a relative who was able to tell us about the care provided for their family member. We spoke with four staff including the manager. We reviewed records including the person's care plan and moving and handling risk assessment.

During this inspection we set out to answer our five questions; Is the service safe? Is the service caring? Is the service responsive? Is the service effective? Is the service well led?

Below is a summary of what we found. If you wish to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report.

Is the service safe?

We found that the service was safe and staff understood their responsibilities for reporting concerns. Staff had attended training on the safeguarding of vulnerable adults as well as training on safe techniques for moving and handling. Appropriate processes were in place to ensure that staff who were recruited to work at the service were suitable for working with vulnerable people.

Is the service caring?

The relative we spoke with told us that the staff were 'Fantastic' and this was particularly true of the regular staff member who cared for their family member. They told us that staff interacted with their family member in a positive manner. We saw comments from this relative in a survey that described the care provided as 'Very good and respectful'.

Is the service responsive?

Although no complaints had been raised, the relative we spoke with told us that they were able to voice concerns if they had any and they felt they would be listened to. We saw that the manager kept records concerning any events of concern such as accidents. We saw an incident report form and staff we spoke with were aware of the need to report incidents. This meant that systems were in place to ensure that events of concern were reported and the service could respond appropriately.

Is the service effective?

The relative we spoke with told us that staff provided care that met the needs of their family member. We saw that the care plan for the person who used the service was sufficiently detailed to ensure that that staff were given appropriate guidance concerning how to meet their needs. Assessments of the person's needs had been carried out to establish their needs and how they should be met.

Is the service well-led?

We found that not all records were kept up to date. Although staff told us they were meeting with their manager and spot checks had been made these had not been documented. We have asked the provider to make improvements in order to meet the requirements of the law in relation to maintaining appropriate records.

We found that systems were in place to ensure that feedback was received concerning the quality of the service. The family of the person who used the service had been asked for their views and had provided feedback. Staff told us they were able to approach the manager with any concerns they had.

People we spoke with told us they experienced good levels of contact and communication in respect of the care needs of the people being supported. We looked at the care plans for both of the service users being supported; held at head office. We saw that both care plans had recently been updated and the relatives we spoke with told us that copies of the care plans were kept at the person's home. This meant that people using the service or their relatives were aware of how the care and support would be delivered.

We spoke with the relatives of the people who used the service and took account of other feedback provided by the provider user surveys. People told us that staff were competent in their roles and that people were supported safely.

We looked at three staff files. We saw that they included completed application forms, which had staff members' educational and work histories. Staff told us they had been interviewed as part of the recruitment process.

We looked at records and found that the provider was asking for feedback from the representatives of people who used the service. We reviewed the results of a recent questionnaire and the feedback was very positive.

Although the staff we spoke with told us they felt supported by management; the provider was unable to demonstrate that all staff were receiving appropriate supervision and appraisal in order to support the delivery of safe and appropriate care to people who used the service. We also found that the provider did not have effective systems to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people receive.