Guardian Homecare (Blackburn)

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People told us they felt safe and systems had been developed to investigate concerns. Staff were recruited safely. People told us visits were mostly on time and duty rotas were completed on the electronic system. Risks were assessed and managed. Records confirmed the action taken as a result of incidents and accidents and supported lessons learned. Infection control policies and guidance was seen and staff had access to plenty of supplies of PPE.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People told us they were asked permission before undertaking any activity. Staff had received training, spot checks and competency checks which ensured they had the skills to undertake their duties. Assessments for people’s needs had been completed and were ongoing. Records detailed people’s health needs and people told us staff guided them to seek health reviews where required. People were supported with their nutritional needs as required.

People were happy with their care and were treated with dignity and respect. Most people said their choice of staff gender was provided. The registered manager confirmed the actions they would take if people’s preferences were not available.

Care records had been developed to provide information to staff about people’s individual needs. Electronic and paper log books with information about daily care provided was seen. Good use of technology was in place. Staff had received further training on end of life care and work was ongoing to develop specific care plans to support people with their end of life needs. A system to manage complaints had been developed. The registered manager provided assurance in relation to a concern which had been raised.

Positive feedback about the registered manager was noted however, not all people knew who the registered manager was. Certificates of registration and the ratings from the last inspection were on display. Audits and monitoring was ongoing and people’s views had been obtained. Meetings were taking place and newsletters had been developed.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was good (published 6 June 2019).

At our last inspection we recommended that the service seeks advice and guidance from a reputable source about end of life care. At this inspection we found the provider had acted on our recommendations.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Guardian Homecare (Blackburn) is a domiciliary care agency. At the time of the inspection there were 360 people in receipt of care and support in their own homes, 22 of which were supported in extra care housing.

People’s experience of using this service:

People told us they felt safe. Staff knew their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and how to report any concerns and policies and procedures supported them in their roles. Risks to people’s health and wellbeing had been assessed and regular reviews were undertaken to keep people safe. Robust recruitment systems and processes were followed when recruiting new staff members.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way; the systems, policies and procedures supported this practice. Where appropriate, people’s consent was recorded.

All the people we spoke with felt staff had the appropriate knowledge and skills to support them. We saw staff had access to mandatory and optional training courses. Staff were also supported through regular supervisions and appraisals. People and their relatives told us staff were kind and caring. Staff had access to equality and diversity policies and procedures.

Care records confirmed people’s choices, preferences and likes and dislikes had been considered and they had been involved in the development of care plans. Care plans were subjected to reviews and were updated if people’s needs changed. Complaints were managed in line with policies and procedures. We received mixed responses in relation to people knowing who would be attending to support them. Some people had regular staff, whilst others did not know who would be attending. Technology was used effectively. We have made a recommendation about end of life care.

The service was run by a registered manager who had effective oversight of the service. Staff told us they felt supported in their roles. Regular meetings and surveys were used as a means of gaining feedback on the service. Quality monitoring visits, audits and senior management visits all contributed to the effective running of the service.

Rating at last inspection:

This was the first rated inspection since the service registered on 23 May 2018.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection.

Follow up:

We will plan a follow up inspection as per our inspection programme. We will continue to monitor the service and if we receive any concerning information we may bring the inspection forward.

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