Archived: Caring For You Home Services Ltd

This is a summary of what we found;

Is the service safe?

When we arrived the service manager greeted us and noted our identification. All people that are employed by the service are given a name badge. They are introduced to the person who uses the service by a known person to them prior to the new staff member providing their care and support. This meant that the appropriate actions were taken to ensure that the people who used the service were protected from others who did not have the right to access their home.

We saw the staff rota which showed that the service assessed people's needs to ensure that there were sufficient numbers of staff employed to meet people's needs.

Is the service effective?

There were systems in place to audit medication and care plans, which were referred to as 'spot checks' or 'unannounced observations of staff.' This was to ensure the service was effectively organised in the delivery of support to people's assessed need.

People's care records showed that care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. The records were reviewed monthly and updated appropriately which meant that staff were provided with up to date information about how people's needs were to be met.

Is the service caring?

We saw that the staff interacted with people in a respectful and professional manner. One person told us: 'The staff are polite and I have never known them to be late.' The manager informed us that the service would contact the person who used the service if they were ever running late, to inform the person and also out of respect.

Is the service responsive?

The service had an effective complaints procedure in place. We examined the records of five people who used the service and noted that their risk assessments had been reviewed and updated in response to events. This ensured people received safe and appropriate care. The service also supported people by providing what was called a 'message in a bottle'. In an emergency, members of the emergency services would be alerted to find important information about the person if they were unable to tell them, because the information would be stored in one known place in each person's home.

Is the service well-led?

The service had an out of hours on-call system in operation throughout the 24 hour period to support staff and people who used the service should the need arise. The registered manager explained to us the assessment process which was used to determine if the service could meet the support requirements of the person. This was because the service did not want to let anyone down by agreeing a contract to provide a service which is was not able to fulfil. The service worked well with other organisations and services such as health and social care professionals to make sure people received their care in a joined up way.

We found that people's views and experiences were taken into account in the way the service was provided and delivered in relation to their care.

Care was planned and delivered in a way that ensured people's safety and welfare. Without exception, people made very positive comments about the service they or their relative received. People told us that the service was, 'excellent' and 'absolutely brilliant.' They described the care workers as, 'understanding' and, 'sensitive.'

People were protected from the risk of abuse because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening. People told us they felt safe with the care workers and trusted them.

During our inspection we found that effective recruitment and selection practices were not in place. This meant that people were at risk of receiving care from staff who were not suitably qualified, skilled and experienced.

The provider had an effective system in place to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received.