Archived: Sterling Homecare (Nottingham)

We found that where people did not have the capacity to consent, the provider was not always acting in accordance with legal requirements.

We found that people's needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned but not always delivered in line with their individual care plan.

We found there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs.

We found staff did not always receive appropriate professional development, including sufficient training, supervision and appraisals to ensure the delivery of safe care and treatment.

We found the provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people receive. The provider had an effective system in place to identify, assess and manage risks to the health, safety and welfare of people who use the service and others.

Two of the three people we spoke to told us carers do not always arrive at the agreed time. One person said, 'The staff can be late. The time they arrive varies. I can't do things and get about until the carers have been.'

We spoke to two relatives of people who were using the service and one person said, "I have been very satisfied with the service.' Another person said, 'The evening carer can be late. I rang up to see if there were any problems, however they should ring me. This has not been a regular problem but very annoying when it happens.'

People told us they felt safe with the support they were being provided and generally liked the staff providing care.

The people we spoke to had mixed views on the staffing levels provided by the service. The staff we spoke to during our visit told us staffing levels can be a problem. One person said, 'We always have vacancies within the team.'

We found staff were not consistently supported to provide care that met people's needs. A number of staff had not received appraisals and refresher training; however the provider had scheduled dates.

We found that the provider was taking steps to assess the quality of the service being provided, however action had not been taken to manage risks relating to the health, welfare and safety of service users.