Background to this inspection
Updated
14 September 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.
This inspection took place between the 20 August 2018 and 31 August 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours' notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the registered manager is sometimes out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in This inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Prior to the inspection the provider had completed a provider information return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, the service does well and any improvements they plan to make. We used this information as part of our inspection planning and throughout the inspection process.
We checked the information we held about the service and the service provider. This included statutory notifications sent to us by the registered manager about incidents and events that had occurred at the service. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law.
During our inspection we spoke with three care workers, the training provider and the registered manager. We also spoke with one relative of a person using the service. We spent time looking at records, including two care plan files, five staff recruitment and training files, medication administration records (MAR), complaints and other records that related to the management of the service.
Updated
14 September 2018
This was the first inspection of this service since it was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on 15 August 2017. This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to older people. At the time of this inspection the service was providing support to three people.
This inspection started on 20 August 2018 and ended on 31 August 2018.
The service had a registered manager. 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.
Staff were trained in safeguarding and understood their responsibilities to report concerns. Processes were in place to ensure any concerns raised were dealt with appropriately.
Risks associated with people's care and support were managed safely. People supported had a person-centred care plan with risk assessments in place that reflected their individual needs.
The service provided people with continuity of care because a core group of staff were allocated to work with the same people. The provider had followed effective recruitment procedures to check potential staff employed were of good character and there were systems in place to ensure that they had the skills and experience needed to carry out their roles.
Suitable arrangements were in place in relation to the safe administration and recording of medicines. Management systems were in use to minimise the risks from the spread of infection. Staff received training about controlling infection and had access to personal protective equipment such as disposable gloves and aprons.
People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. All staff had undertaken an induction before they started work. Mandatory training was regularly undertaken with refresher updates in accordance with best practice guidelines. The registered manager supported staff through supervision and team meetings.
Staff were aware of the importance of choice when supporting people with meals and drinks. The registered manager communicated important information about how to support people to staff to enable people to receive consistent care which was effective in meeting their needs. People were supported to access additional advice from healthcare professionals where this was relevant to them.
Staff understood what it meant to individual people in terms of maintaining their dignity. A relative told us staff were kind and caring.
The service involved people and their representatives in discussions about their care so they received care that met their own specific needs. People were provided with information on how to complain and there was a process in place for dealing with complaints.
The registered manager was skilled and experienced. They monitored the care packages and provided support and advice to staff. The registered manager demonstrated strong values and a desire to learn about and implement best practice. There were systems and processes to enable lessons to be learned and improvements made if things went wrong. Staff were motivated and proud of the service.
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