Direct Care Works Ltd

This is to help with personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection one person was receiving personal care.

There was insufficient information to give the service a rating.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Relatives said their family member was safe with staff from the service. Staff understood how to protect people from the risk of harm and understood potential signs of abuse. Care plans provided guidance for staff to follow, and staff had read the care plans. Risk assessments reduced risk for people. Staff went through a recruitment process that ensured the provider only employed suitable staff.

There was a system in place to ensure that people receive their medicines as prescribed and they were protected from the risk of infections through staff working practices. There were enough staff to meet the person’s needs. Staff undertook induction and training which provided knowledge and skills to meet people’s needs, though more specialist training was to be provided to staff.

The person was supported to have as much choice and control as possible and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests. The systems in the service had not fully supported this practice as they had not assessed the person’s capacity to make decisions. The registered manager rectified this after the inspection visit.

The person was provided with care and support that ensured they had good nutrition and hydration. They had access to healthcare that maintained their health and wellbeing.

Staff had developed positive relationship with the person. Staff respected the person’s privacy and dignity. Relatives had been involved and consulted when deciding how support was provided. Staff knew and understood the needs of the person using the service and care was provided based on their assessed needs. Staff were responsive to changes in the person’s needs to ensure they received help to maintain their health and well-being.

Relatives knew how to raise any concerns or make a complaint. The provider responded to concerns by following up any issues to put things right. The complaints policy provided information about how these would be managed and responded to.

Relatives and staff spoke positively about the management and leadership of the service. Relatives told us staff were very friendly and caring, and they had built good relationships with them.

Systems were in place to monitor the quality of care and support people experienced through quality assurance systems and processes to improve the service. The service worked in partnership with external agencies to ensure people achieved good outcomes from their care and support.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was unrated. The inspection report for this inspection was published on 14 February 2019.

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.

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

This was the first comprehensive inspection carried out at Direct Care Works Ltd since they registered with CQC in November 2017.

Direct Care Works Ltd is a domiciliary care agency. By domiciliary care agency (DCA), we mean services that provide personal care (and sometimes other support) to people living in ordinary houses and flats in the community. DCAs vary significantly in size, scope, and service user bands. Most work with older adults, some with younger disabled adults, and some also work with children. They range in size from small to very large, measured in terms of numbers of staff, people provided with care and support, and the settings they live in). Direct Care works Ltd. provides a service to people living with dementia, children and adults who misuse drugs or alcohol. On the day of our visit, there was one person receiving personal care in their own home.

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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Risk assessments were in place and reviewed regularly; The person received their care as planned to mitigate their known risks.

The person received their care from a consistent staff team. Relatives found this valuable.

Staff had received training and support to carry out their roles. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities to safeguard people from the risk of harm.

The provider had robust recruitment procedures in place.

The person was supported to access relevant health and social care professionals. There were systems in place to manage medicines in a safe way.

Staff demonstrated their understanding of the Mental Capacity Act, 2005 (MCA). Staff understood how to meet the person’s best interests where they were unable to express verbal consent.

Family members were involved in the planning of the person’s care where the person was unable to be involved. Care plans were person centred and updated regularly.

The person’s privacy and dignity was protected and promoted. Staff had a good understanding of the person’s needs and preferences.

Relatives knew how to raise a concern or make a complaint. There was a complaints system in place and relatives were confident that any complaints would be responded to appropriately.

Staff and relatives thought the service was well run. The registered manager and office manager had analysed the care provided to people and identified areas of improvement.