Helping Hands Middlesbrough

Updated 7 August 2019

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by an inspector and an 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 care service.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses.

The registered manager of the service had very recently left the service and Helping Hands Middlesbrough was being managed by a manager from one of the provider’s other branches. The acting manager informed us that recruitment for a new registered manager had taken place. A registered manager, along with the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or acting manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We contacted Healthwatch for feedback about the service. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with five people who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including the acting manager, a care and training practitioner and three care workers. We also spoke with a representative of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and three people’s medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at the training matrix for the service and staff rotas.

Updated 7 August 2019

About the service

Helping Hands Middlesbrough provides domiciliary care services to people living in their own homes in Middlesbrough and the surrounding area. At the time of inspection, 24 people were using the service.

Not everyone who used the service 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

Staff knew how to safeguard people from abuse. Where concerns had been raised, these had been dealt with appropriately. Risks to people had been assessed and actions identified to reduce risk. Recruitment practices reduced the risk of unsuitable staff being employed.

People had their care and support needs met by enough numbers of suitably trained staff. People’s needs were assessed and regularly reviewed. 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 this practice

People spoke highly of the staff supporting them. Staff knew how to protect people’s privacy and dignity and promote their independence. People’s choices and wishes were recorded and acted upon.

Complaints were managed appropriately. A range of audits were in place to assess and improve service delivery. Feedback from people and relevant others was sought and acted upon

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 14 August 2018) and there was a breach of regulation 17 related to good governance. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulation 17.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.