Archived: QCarers (UK)

Updated 22 November 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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.

The inspection took place on 07 November 2018 and was announced. We gave the service two days’ notice of the inspection site visit because the service is small and the registered manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be available to support the inspection process. The inspection was undertaken by one adult social care inspector.

Before our inspection we reviewed information that we held about the service including statutory notifications that had been submitted. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us. We reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR) submitted in October 2018. This is information that the provider is required to send to us, which gives us some key information about the service and tells us what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make.

Inspection activity started on 07 November and ended on 09 November 2018. We visited the office location on 07 November 2018 to meet with the management team and to review care records and policies and procedures. The person who used the service at the time of this inspection was not able to tell us about the service they received. However, we received feedback from relatives of two people who had used the service in the past three months and from staff.

We reviewed care records relating to a person who used the service and other documents central their health and well-being. These included staff training records, medication records and quality audits.

Updated 22 November 2018

The inspection took place on 07 November 2018 and was announced. This was the first inspection of this service since the provider registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in December 2017.

QCarers(UK) is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. QCarers(UK) is registered to provide a service to younger adults and older people living with dementia, mental health needs or physical disabilities. The service had supported five people since initial registration in December 2017. One person was using the service at the time of this inspection.

Not everyone using domiciliary care services receive regulated activities; 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.

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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

There was a range of routine checks undertaken by the management team however, these were not always effective in identifying shortfalls. Some improvements were needed in respect of record keeping. The management team were passionate about providing good care and support and demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of the staff they employed and people who used the service. The management team met at least monthly to review strategic and operational needs, incidents, accidents, complaints and for general strategic and operational oversight of the service and priorities for the organisation.

Staff had been trained in how to safeguard people from avoidable harm and were knowledgeable about the potential risks and signs of abuse. Risks to people’s safety and wellbeing were assessed and managed in the least restrictive way possible. Enough staff were available to meet people’s needs. People's medicines were safely managed. Staff had received training in infection control practices and personal protective equipment such as gloves and aprons was provided for them. The management and staff team used incidents as a learning tool to help further ensure people’s safety and wellbeing.

Staff received training and supervision to enable them to meet people’s care and support needs. The service worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Staff and management team liaised with social care commissioners and appointed next-of-kin where people were not able to give consent. People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts to maintain their health and wellbeing. The staff and management team worked in partnership with external professionals and families to help ensure the individuals needs were identified and met.

People had a small team of staff who supported them which helped to ensure continuity and enabled people to form bonds with the staff. Each person was treated as an individual and their needs and wants were managed on an individual basis. Staff had developed positive and caring relationships with people they clearly knew well. Staff understood the importance of promoting people’s independence. People's care records were stored securely to help maintain their dignity and confidentiality.

People and their relatives had been involved in developing care plans that addressed all areas of people’s lives. Staff were matched as far as possible with the people they supported in terms of gender, interests and skills. Staff accompanied people into the community to undertake activities of their choice. Concerns and complaints raised by people who used the service or their relatives were appropriately investigated and resolved.