Background to this inspection
Updated
29 May 2021
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.
Inspection team
The inspection was completed by two inspectors 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 and flats.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and 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 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We reviewed the information we had received about the service since the last inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with one person who used the service, four relatives, and an advocate of a person about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with three members of staff which included the registered manager, a field supervisor and a care worker.
We reviewed a range of records. These included four people’s care records and medicines records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment. 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 reviewed documentation provided and liaised with service commissioners. We also received written feedback from eight care workers.
Updated
29 May 2021
About the service
Vida London is a domiciliary care service, providing personal care to people living in London.
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. On the day of the site visit, eight people were receiving the regulated activity of personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People’s medicines were not always being managed safely. The systems in place to assess the risks to people’s safety were inconsistent, and ways to mitigate risks were not always clear.
Staff recruitment procedures were not always fully robust. Not all staff had undergone all the relevant pre-employment checks as part of their recruitment.
The management of safety, risk were not always effective.
People trusted the staff and felt safe with them. Staff understood the procedures they needed to follow if they suspected abuse.
Staff understood their roles and responsibilities in relation to preventing and controlling infections.
The registered manager gave us examples of where they had learned lessons from past experiences and how this had improved the service overall.
People using the service were positive about the quality of care they received, and systems were in place to monitor and review the quality of people’s care provision.
People who used the service, their relatives and staff thought highly of the newly registered manager and the positive impact they were having at the service.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good. (Report published on 16 May 2019).
Why we inspected
We had concerns about the management of medicines and risk which arose from a recent inspection of a service run by the same provider. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.
We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them.
We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements.
We have identified two breaches in relation to safe care and treatment and governance of the service at this inspection. We have also made a recommendation regarding staff recruitment.
Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.