Archived: Comfort Keepers UK

Updated 17 January 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on the 22 and 23 November 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service; we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

The inspection was carried out 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 expert-by-experience had experience of dementia care, domiciliary services and other care environments.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the PIR and other information we held about the service. This included statutory notifications sent to us by the registered manager about incidents and events that had occurred at the service. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send to us by law. We used all this information to decide which areas to focus on during our inspection.

On the first day of our inspection we visited two people in their own homes. We observed how people were supported by staff and we looked at their daily files. We visited the registered office where we met with the registered manager, the client care specialist and the care scheduler. On the second day of our inspection we spoke with the business development manager and met with three care staff separately. We looked at four care records, complaints, accidents and incidents records, surveys and other records relating to the management of the service. We read three staff records, these included staff recruitment documents, training, supervisions and appraisals. The expert-by-experience spoke with 11 people and six relatives by telephone to gain their views of the service and care they received.

The service was last inspected on 13 June 2014 and there were no concerns.

Updated 17 January 2017

This inspection took place on the 22 and 23 November 2016 and was announced.

Comfort Keepers UK is a domiciliary care service which provides personal care to people in their own homes. The registered office is in Worthing, however the service provides personal care to people across West Sussex including Worthing, Shoreham-By-Sea and Lancing. The service supported older people, people living with dementia, people with a physical disability and/or a sensory impairment. At the time of our visit, the service was supporting 120 people with personal care. The total number of people changed frequently due to the service regularly supporting people who had been discharged from hospital and who required short term care and support.

The registered manager had been in post since August 2012. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Each person had a completed care record which was kept in their homes for staff to use to meet their care needs. However, during our inspection, we found there were gaps in information held at the registered office with regard to the care and treatment the service was providing to people. This included gaps within care plans, risk assessments and how people were supported with their prescribed medicines. This meant the office were not able to monitor and audit the quality of the care provided consistently for all people. We made a recommendation to the provider so the appropriate action was taken to ensure completed care records were held at the registered office. The registered manager was prompt in responding to this issue and told us the action she would take to rectify this.

People told us that Comfort Keepers UK provided a safe service. Staff were able to speak about what action they would take if they had a concern or felt a person was at risk of potential abuse or neglect. People and relatives spoke positively about the support they received from the service and records reflected there were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. The service followed safe recruitment practices. People’s medicines were managed safely within people’s own homes.

Risks to people had been identified and assessed and information was provided in people's homes for staff on how to care for people safely and mitigate any risks.

Staff felt confident with the support and guidance they had been given during their induction and subsequent training. Supervisions, appraisals and competency assessments were consistently carried out for all staff supporting people.

People’s consent to care and treatment was considered under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 when providing care. Some people received support with food and drink and they made positive comments about staff and the way they met this need.

Staff spoke kindly and respectfully to people as well as involving them with the care provided. Staff had developed meaningful relationships with people they supported. Staff knew people well and had a caring approach. People were treated with dignity and respect.

Changes in people’s health care needs and their support was reviewed when required. If people required input from other healthcare professionals, this was arranged.

People received personalised care. People’s care had been planned and individual care plans were in place. Care plans provided clear guidance to staff on how to meet people’s individual needs. People were involved in reviewing care plans with the management team.

People’s views about the quality of the service were obtained informally through discussions with the management team, care reviews and formally through surveys.

People told us that they knew who to go to make a complaint and how they would do so if and when they required. People told us they were pleased with improvements the service had made with regard to sending the same staff on care visits.

During the inspection we found the registered manager open to feedback and prompt in taking action to improve the experience of care people received.