Arrow Care Services Limited

Updated 25 June 2019

The inspection:

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

Inspection team:

The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type:

Arrow Care Services Limited is a domiciliary care agency (DCA). The service provides personal care to people living in their own homes in the community. Arrow Care Services Limited is a new service and this was their first inspection since registration with the Care Quality Commission.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection:

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure the management would be in the office. We visited the office location on 10 May 2019 to see the registered manager and to review care records, policies and procedures. We spent time in the week following gaining feedback from people who use the service, relatives and health and social care professionals.

What we did:

Before the inspection we reviewed the information, we held about the service. We reviewed the provider information return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give us some key information about the service, what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make.

We spoke with two people and their relatives to gather their views about the care they received. We received feedback from two professionals who have contact with the service. During the office visit we looked at three people’s care and medicines records. We checked three staff personnel files. We also looked at a range of records about how the service was managed. We spoke with the registered manager, the administrator and four members of the care staff team.

Updated 25 June 2019

About the service:

Arrow Care Services Limited is a domiciliary care agency (DCA). The service provides personal care to people living in their own homes in the community. At the time of our inspection 25 people were using the service and 14 were receiving personal care.

People’s experience of using this service:

People received a kind and caring service. Staff were compassionate and committed to delivering high standards of care. The registered manager and management team led by example.

People were complimentary about the service they received and about the quality of the staff. People said they were very happy, they felt listened to and were treated respectfully.

Staff were knowledgeable about people’s needs, preferences and routines. This ensured they delivered a person-centred service. Plans were regularly reviewed, and people were involved in the review and in making appropriate changes.

Staff promoted people’s independence, enabling them to make decisions, offering choices and supporting them to maintain and re-gain their independent abilities.

The service was safe and risks were assessed, recorded and updated as needed. Staff took action and followed guidance to manage risks effectively. People were supported to take their medicines safely.

Staff were well trained and skilled. People were supported by staff who had been recruited robustly and who were well supported to carry out their roles.

The registered manager and the service had good working relationships with health and social care colleagues. Feedback received was very positive with an emphasis on skilled mental health care.

The service was well-led. The providers quality assurance processes were effective and the service provision well monitored.

Rating at last inspection: Arrow Care Services Limited is a new service and this was their first inspection since registration with the Care Quality Commission.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on our inspection schedule.

Follow up: We will monitor all intelligence received about the service to inform when the next inspection should take place.