Home Instead

Updated 28 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 comprised one adult social care inspector and an expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The expert by experience made telephone calls to people receiving a service.

Service and service type:

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes in the community.

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 that the registered manager would be available to support the inspection and answer any questions we might have.

Inspection site visit activity started on 20 May 2019 and ended on 21 May 2019. We visited the office location on both days to see the registered

manager, managing director and staff and to review care records and policies and procedures. On 20 May 2019 we visited people in their homes to speak with them and their family. On 20 and 21 May we spoke with people and their relatives on the telephone.

What we did:

Prior to our inspection we requested a 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 improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the information we held about the service, including notifications the provider had sent us and the report from our last inspection. This helped us plan our inspection.

During the inspection we visited three people in their homes. We also spoke with seven people who used the service and six relatives on the telephone, to get their feedback about the service. We spoke with the registered manager, the managing director, three care workers and two of the administrative team.

We looked at four people's care records, which included support plans and risk assessments. We reviewed a range of documents relating to how the service was managed, including; three staff personnel files, staff training records, policies, procedures and quality assurance audits.

Updated 28 June 2019

About the service:

Home Instead Senior Care is a domiciliary care agency which is registered to provide personal care and support to adults. It provides a range of services, including personal care, companionship, medication support, meal preparation and light housekeeping. The service operates in Saddleworth, Oldham and Tameside.

People’s experience of using this service:

Everyone we talked to, without exception, spoke very highly of the service, its staff and how it was managed. People told us staff were extremely caring and kind, and talked about having close relationships and friendships with them. People told us their privacy and dignity were always respected and that staff helped and encouraged them keep their independence.

People's needs and wishes were met by staff who knew them very well. There was a consistent staff team with people supported regularly by the same care giver. This ensured continuity of care. All the staff we spoke with showed a great commitment to supporting people in a person-centred and individualised way. Care plans were highly detailed and gave clear guidance on how each person wished to be supported in a manner that was unique to them. These were reviewed regularly.

Staff told us they loved their job and were proud to work for the organisation. They said they felt listened to and supported by the management team, who cared for them and their wellbeing. There was a positive workplace culture, as the organisation valued, encouraged and praised its staff.

Staff and management were well trained and had the support and supervision they needed to carry out their roles effectively. Both the registered manager and managing director were a visible presence within the service and led by example.

Staff were aware of how to report any concerns about neglect or abuse and were confident they would be addressed. There were systems in place to ensure only staff who were suitable to work with vulnerable people were recruited. The management team were committed to employing people who shared the values of the organisation. Where possible they ‘matched’ staff to people, so that they were supported by staff who shared the same interests. The registered manager told us, "We are quite specific about the people we employ."

People were supported safely and risks regarding their care were assessed and met. Staff took measures to prevent and control the spread of infection. There were systems in place for the safe management of medicines so that people received their medicines as prescribed.

The service had recently introduced electronic medicines records. The service was innovative and forward thinking. There were quality assurance processes in place and information from accidents, incidents, complaints, audits and feedback was used to deliver a high quality service and drive improvement.

People felt very involved in their care and were regularly contacted by the management team to check that the care they were receiving was as they wished and of a high standard.

The service had a strong community involvement, including an advice column in a local magazine, sponsoring a local café, speaking at dementia workshops and charity work. Staff told us they were proud to work for an organisation that promoted and encouraged work within its local community.

Rating at last inspection: Outstanding (report published November 2016).

Why we inspected:

This was a scheduled inspection, based upon the last rating.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service through information we receive and future inspections.

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