Archived: Trelawney Care Ltd

People’s experience of using this service:

¿ People were supported by staff who knew them well and had formed trusting relationships with them. Comments from people and relatives included; “My relative has a very good relationship with all the carers, it's so nice to see them taking time to communicate with them at a pace that he can join in with” and “We get on well with each other and I think they try to please me. They know what I like to do and be done for me, and they know my family is important to me and that I like talking about them.”

¿ The management team recognised the importance of staff having time to build relationships with people to gain their respect and confidence. When this resulted in visits taking longer than planned arrangements were put in place to ensure other visits were not negatively impacted on.

¿ The management team recognised the importance of staff having time to build relationships with people in order to gain their respect and confidence. When this resulted in visits taking longer than planned arrangements were put in place to ensure other visits were not negatively impacted on.

¿ Staff had a good knowledge and understanding of people’s routines and their likes and dislikes. If they had any concerns about anyone’s well-being this was reported to the office and action taken to help ensure people were safe and happy.

¿ People were complimentary about staff and the organisation. They told us staff were punctual and no-one reported having had a missed visit. Comments included; “I don’t mind if they’re going to be a little late, after all I am not the only one they have to come to. But they try and get here on time or I might get a phone call telling me their running late” and “It’s not very often that they don’t come at the right time. I would get a phone call if they’re going to be late.”

¿ New staff completed an induction which involved training and a period of ‘buddying’ more experienced staff. Training was refreshed so staff were up to date with any changes in working practices.

¿ Staff told us they were well supported and had a good working relationship with each other and the management team.

¿ A new care planning system had been introduced. Staff accessed and update people’s records on a mobile phone app. They told us this was effective and made it easy to keep up to date with any changes in people’s needs. The registered manager was working with the supplier to develop the system further to meet the needs of the organisation.

¿ The service was exceptionally well-led. The registered manager was passionate and committed to improving the lives of people using the service. The visions and values of the service were focused on enabling people to stay living at home. This was known and understood by the staff team. The registered manager worked with other organisations and professionals to help achieve their aims.

¿ People and their relatives were consistently positive about the management of the service. Comments included; “I am so pleased with the management. Because my relative is so far away communication is very important to me. They keep me fully informed of any major problems, get things sorted and then let me know it's sorted, can’t say fairer than that. Great service, no complaints”, “For us, as a family, it meets all our expectations and more. We feel it’s like family, an extended family” and “I know I can contact them, and the phone is answered and whatever it is I have rang about gets done or changed so yes, I have every confidence.”

¿ People and staff were asked for their views of the service to help drive improvement. Spot checks of staff working practices were carried out by senior staff.

Rating at last inspection: Good (Report published 11 October 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at our previous inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

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

Trelawney Domiciliary Care is a domiciliary care agency that provides care and support to adults, of all ages, in their own homes. The service provides help to people with physical disabilities and dementia care needs in Camborne and surrounding areas. The service mainly provides personal care for people in short visits at key times of the day to help people get up in the morning, go to bed at night and support with meals.

At the time of our inspection 50 people were receiving a personal care service. The services were funded either privately or through Cornwall Council or NHS funding. The service employed 32 staff including management.

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 who used the service, families and health and social care professionals told us they felt the service was safe. Comments included, “I am very happy with them. They are good and I look forward to their calls”, “I have nothing but praise for them” and “Nothing is too much trouble”.

The service had a contingency plan in place to manage any emergencies. Risks to people in the event of an emergency, had been assessed and rated, in order to identify who would be at the highest risk. There was 24 hour telephone contact available to people to be able to access staff in an emergency. This demonstrated the provider had prioritised people's care provision during such an event.

People received care, as much as possible, from the same care worker or team of care workers. Rotas were planned in such a way as to minimise changes of staff. People told us they had regular staff and the times of their visits were agreed with them. Everyone told us the service was reliable, visits were never missed and they were kept informed of any changes to the time of their visits. People said, "They always come within a short time either way, it’s around 9:30 give or take 15 mins either way” and “If there a problem someone will call me to tell me what is happening but this rarely happens.”

Staff were recruited safely, which helped ensure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people. Staff had received training in how to recognise and report abuse. All were clear about how to report any concerns and were confident that any allegations made would be fully investigated to help ensure people were protected.

Staff received appropriate training and supervision. New staff received an induction, which incorporated the care certificate. All staff received an annual appraisal of their work.

Staff were knowledgeable about the people they cared for and responded appropriately as people's needs changed. Staff spoke passionately about the people they supported and were clearly motivated to provide an individualised service in line with people's needs and goals. Comments from staff included, "I enjoy working for Trelawney. We are like a big family and we all want and work for the best for the people we care for.”

People told us they were involved in decisions about their care and were aware of their care plans. Care plans provided staff with clear direction and guidance about how to meet people's individual needs and goals. These were reviewed regularly to evaluate the progress people were making.

The service worked successfully with healthcare services to ensure people's health care needs were met and had supported people to access services from a variety of healthcare professionals including GPs, occupational therapists and district nurses to provide additional support when required. Care records demonstrated staff shared information effectively with professionals and involved them appropriately. One healthcare professional told us, "They are a reliable, professional care agency and I have no issues with them.”

Management had a clear understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how to make sure people who did not have the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves had their legal rights protected.

There was a positive culture in the service, the management teams provided strong leadership and led by example. Staff described the service as a ‘family’ and commented on the high degree of support provided to them from the registered manager and management team.

There were effective quality assurance systems in place to make sure that any areas for improvement were identified and addressed. People and their families told us the management teams were approachable and they were included in decisions about the running of the service.

People had details of how to raise a complaint if they needed to but felt that issues would usually be resolved informally. Comments from people included, "I am very happy with Trelawney and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them” and "I would the service is well managed."

People told us Trelawney Domiciliary Care were easy to get hold of and responded quickly to any queries. One person said when they had made a complaint it had been sorted out quickly and to their satisfaction.

People told us they usually got the same carers and they knew their care needs well.

Care Plans were detailed in the descriptions of care people required. However we saw that risk assessments were not always informative.