Archived: CHD Care at Home Surrey Heath and HAMPSHIRE

People’s experience of using this service:

People received their care from consistent staff who knew their needs well. People had established positive relationships with their regular care workers and enjoyed their company. Staff were kind and caring and treated people with respect.

Staff received the training they needed to provide safe care. This included all elements of mandatory training during their induction and regular refresher training in key areas. Staff met regularly with their managers for supervision, which enabled them to discuss their performance and any further training needs.

Staff understood their roles in safeguarding people from abuse and felt able to speak up about any concerns they had. The provider’s recruitment procedures helped ensure only suitable staff were employed. Potential risks to people and staff had been assessed and measures put in place to minimise these. Medicines were managed safely and staff maintained appropriate standards of infection control.

Staff monitored people’s health and reported any concerns they had about people’s wellbeing. This enabled people’s relatives or the management team to arrange appropriate healthcare input. The agency worked effectively with other professionals, such as GPs, district nurses and pharmacists, to ensure people received the care they needed.

People’s care plans were personalised and reflected their individual needs and preferences. Care plans were regularly reviewed to take account of any changes in people’s needs. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The management team had a good oversight of the service and provided good support to care staff. The provider had appropriate quality monitoring systems, which included seeking the views of people and families. The care that staff provided was monitored through spot checks carried out by the management team.

People knew how to complain and were confident any concerns they raised would be addressed. People who had complained in the past told us the service they received had improved as a result.

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

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated Good (report published on 29 November 2016).

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

The inspection took place on 12 September 2016, and was announced.

At the time of our visit there was a registered manager in post. 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.

People and their relatives told us they felt safe with staff from Longdene Homecare. Staff had a clear understanding about the signs of abuse and were aware of what to do if they suspected abuse was taking place. There were systems and processes in place to protect people from harm.

There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed who had the necessary skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs. Recruitment practices were safe and relevant checks had been completed before staff started work.

Medicines were managed, stored and disposed of safely. Medicines were administered by competent staff and any changes to people’s medicines were prescribed by the person’s GP.

The service had a business contingency plan that identified how the service would function in the event of an emergency such as adverse weather conditions.

People had care plans in place for identified care and supports needs. We found that staff were knowledgeable about people’s needs and risks and what action to take to protect them from these risks. Staff responded to changes in people’s care needs.

Staff understood the importance of promoting independence and this was reinforced in people’s care plans. People were supported to express their views and to be involved in making decisions about their care and support. People told us that staff were responsive in changing the times of their visits and accommodating last minute appointments when needed.

The registered manager ensured staff had the skills and experience which were necessary to carry out their role. All new staff completed an induction programme at the start of their employment. Training was provided during induction and then on an on-going basis. Staff had received appropriate support that promoted their development. People told us they felt supported and staff knew what they were doing.

Staff were up to date with current guidance to support people to make decisions. Staff had a clear understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) as well as their responsibilities in respect of this. People confirmed that they had consented to the care they received. They told us that staff checked with them that they were happy with the support being provided on a regular basis. Mental capacity assessments were completed for people and their capacity to make decisions had been assumed by staff unless there was a professional assessment to show otherwise.

People were supported to have the food and drink of their choice. The support people received varied depending on people’s individual circumstances. Staff were available to support people to attend healthcare appointments if needed and liaised with health and social care professionals involved in their care if their health or support needs changed.

Positive, caring relationships had been developed with people. Everyone told us they were treated with kindness and respect by the staff who supported them. Staff were respectful of people’s privacy and maintained their dignity.

People and their relatives told us they were aware of the formal complaint procedure and they were confident that the registered provider or staff would address concerns if they had any.

People and their relatives said that staff provided a good service. Staff told us that they felt fully supported by the management team. They said that the registered manager and senior staff were approachable and kept them informed of any changes to the service.

The provider had systems in place to regularly assess and monitor the quality of the care provided. People told us the staff were friendly and management were always approachable. Staff were encouraged to contribute to the improvement of the service.

People who used the service told us that staff were polite and respectful towards them and that they had been involved in planning and reviewing their care and support. One person told us, 'I'm very explicit about my needs and the way I want things done. Most of the time things go well but when they don't I tell them'.

The three people that we spoke with all told us that they were happy with the care that was provided for them. One person told us, 'There are two care staff who look after me regularly and they are wonderful'. Another told us, 'My carer is brilliant and I only get unsettled when they can't see to me and I have to explain things to someone else'.

We saw that guidance regarding safeguarding people from abuse was available to staff and that they had received recent relevant training. One person we spoke with told us, 'The staff are very good. I always feel safe with them and they know what they're doing'.

We saw that staff recruitment processes were thorough and that required checks had been carried out before staff were engaged by the service.

We noted that there was an effective complaints system in place and that complaints had been investigated thoroughly and appropriately resolved.

We found that the service maintained, stored and appropriately managed records relating the care and support provided to people who used the service.