Archived: Sterling Care

Updated 11 July 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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

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. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 7 June 2019 and ended on 11 June 2019. We visited the office location on 7 and 11 June 2019. We visited the homes of people who used the service on 10 June 2019. We also contacted relatives of people who used the service by telephone.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since registration and we sought feedback from professionals who work with the service. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

The provider did not complete the required Provider Information Return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about the service, what it does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account in making our judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eight members of staff including the registered manager, care manager, coordinator and care workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 11 July 2019

About the service

Sterling Care is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own homes. It provides support services to people with a range of needs such as physical disability, dementia and mental health needs. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection 54 people were being supported with personal care.

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

Safe recruitment processes were not always followed appropriately. This meant some staff had not had their references verified before starting at the service and full employment histories had not always been recorded. We made a recommendation about this.

Protocols for as and when needed medicine (PRN), were not always available. PRN protocols we did see did not contain enough information about when people required that medicine. However, staff we spoke with were able to detail when people would need this medicine. We found people had received their medication when they should.

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. However, we found these systems were not always followed appropriately in relation to best interest decisions. We made a recommendation about this.

People received person centred care and support based on their individual needs and preferences. Staff were aware of people's life history, and their communication needs. They used this information to develop positive and meaningful relationships with people. People were happy with the care and support they received.

Risks which compromised people’s health and well-being were appropriately assessed, reviewed when needed and contained detailed information. People told us they felt safe with the service.

Staff were caring and always promoted people’s dignity and independence. Staff were trained to support people safely and effectively.

There was a clear complaints policy for the service. Complaints we saw had been responded to appropriately. People told us they felt comfortable discussing any concerns with the service and felt confident concerns would be addressed.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and drive improvements. The service regularly sought feedback from people regarding their care and used this feedback to improve quality.

Everyone we spoke with was complimentary about the service and felt there was an open culture. People told us they would recommend the service to others.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 28/06/2018 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on our inspection programme.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information 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.