We carried out a review of the data available to us about Eureka Care Services Limited on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Eureka Care Services Limited, you can give feedback on this service.
Eureka Care Services Limited is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in their own homes in the community. When we inspected, they were providing the regulated activity of personal care for 12 people. 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
The provider had significantly improved their recruitment and governance systems since the last inspection in March 2019. Regular checks of key areas had been introduced, and strengthened, which helped to ensure improvements were sustained and any identified shortfalls were effectively managed in a timely manner.
People had safe and effective support from a team of care workers who received appropriate training and support. People were protected from harm because the provider had a robust recruitment process and staff received training in how to recognise and report abuse. People’s care calls took place in a timely manner and there had not been any missed care calls. Staff had received training in infection control practices and personal protective equipment such as gloves and aprons was provided for them. The management team took appropriate actions following any incidents and learning was shared with the staff team.
Before care delivery started, assessments of people’s needs were undertaken to help make sure those needs could be met by Eureka Care Services Limited. Care plans were developed from these assessments for each identified need and staff had clear guidance on how to meet those needs. 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 and their relatives praised the kind and caring nature of staff. People received consistent care from a small team of staff. Staff helped to relieve people’s distress and discomfort, and supported people to maintain personal relationships. People knew about their care plans and could decide what care and support they received. People’s care was arranged in response to their identified needs. This was kept under review and updated as and when needed.
People told us they would be confident to raise any concerns with the management. Everyone we spoke with during the inspection was satisfied with the care and support they received. People, their relatives and staff members spoke highly of the registered manager and said they were always available and supportive.
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 14/03/2019). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve.
Since this rating was awarded the service has moved premises. We have used the previous rating and enforcement action taken to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection.
At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.
What life is like for people using this service: People did not always receive the care and support they needed at the times agreed. Most staff did not have their own transport and relied on public transport which was not always reliable and resulted in some calls being late. Comments included, “They [staff] are trying to catch up when they are late” and “The logistics in getting staff to visits is posing a big problem at the moment”. Staff told us they had the time to complete their calls but there was not always time to travel between clients.
The service did not follow its own recruitment policy. Some files did not have the necessary information required by regulation. One application form was not on the staff file. Two records did not include any employment gaps. Two records did not include interview notes. This meant the fitness of the person to be employed could not be verified.
There were three staff vacancies being advertised at the time of the inspection. The registered provider/manager was working closely with the staff team to support them in carrying out visits. The current vacancies were impacting on the response times to some calls due to the geographical area staff were covering.
There were quality monitoring systems in place as well as auditing procedures. However, they were not effective as they had not addressed the issues we found during the inspection.
People told us they felt well cared for by staff who treated them with respect and dignity and encouraged them to maintain relationships and keep their independence for as long as possible.
Staff liaised with other health care professionals to ensure people's safety and meet their health needs.
More information is in the detailed findings below.
We identified two breaches of the Health and Social Care Act (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 around recruitment practices and governance. Details of action we have asked the provider to take can be found at the end of this report.
Rating at last inspection: Eureka Care Services Limited has not been rated at this location. This is the first rating of this service.
Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection. At this inspection we rated the service Requires Improvement.
Follow up: We will carry out a further focused inspection, in line with our inspection programme, to check improvements have been made to ensure the service is meeting the regulations. We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.