Archived: Sensa Care (Havant)

Updated 21 May 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection was undertaken by one inspector 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. The ExE had experience of care for older people and those living with dementia.

Service and service type:

Sensa Care provides support and personal care to people living in their own home. Not everyone required a personal care service and at the time of our inspection sixteen people were receiving personal care from Sensa care. 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 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit. This is because the service is small and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be available. Inspection site visit activity started on 27 March 2019 and ended on 29 March 2019. We visited the office location on 27 March 2019 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.

What we did:

Before the inspection we reviewed the information, we had received about the service, including notifications. Notifications are information about specific important events the service is legally required to send to us. We also considered information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection we gathered information from:

• Nine people using the service.

• Two relatives of a people using the service.

• Five people’s care records.

• The registered manager.

• The deputy manager.

• Audits and quality assurance records.

• Records of recruitment, training and supervision.

Following the inspection, we gathered further information from:

• Four care staff.

Updated 21 May 2019

About the service:

Sensa Care (Havant) is domiciliary care agency which provides support and personal care to people living in their own home. Not everyone using Sensa Care received a regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection sixteen people were receiving a regulated activity from Sensa Care.

People’s experience of using this service:

• People were valued and respected as individuals and they were supported to be fully engaged in planning their care. There was an exceptionally strong ethos within the service of treating people with dignity and respect.

• The provider was committed to and passionate about providing a high-quality service where people were at the forefront of the service delivery. The service went the extra mile to ensure that care staff got to know the people they were supporting well and maintained a friendly and respectful approach within people’s own homes.

• People told us they felt respected and supported by care staff and looked forward to their visits. One person said, “They make themselves part of our home and that's what I like, they are one of the family.”

• Care was provided consistently and at the agreed times. People knew which care staff were supporting them each day and had a small team of people that they knew well, which contributed to building of meaningful relationships.

• We received exceptionally positive feedback from all people and relatives. The feedback reflected staff were very kind, caring and committed.

• People told us they received safe care. People were supported by consistent and suitably trained staff.

• Care plans were detailed and person centred. People were involved in deciding how they wished to be supported and in reviewing their care plans when needed.

• The management team kept in regular contact with people by visiting them in their homes, checking if they were happy with the service they received and if any changes were needed.

• The registered manager told us how important it was to the service, that people received high quality care and support, and how they were passionate about providing person-centred care to people when they needed it.

• The management team had quality assurance systems in place and there was a focus on continual review and development.

• The service worked well with other partners, organisations and commissioners.

Rating at last inspection:

The service was first registered with CQC in November 2017. This was the first inspection of the service.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on when the service was registered with CQC.

Follow up:

There is no required follow up to this inspection. However, we will continue to monitor the service and will inspect the service again based on the information we receive.

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