Dale Care - Hartlepool and Middlesbrough Home Care

Updated 19 September 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 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.

Service and service type

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

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 we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 1 August 2019 and ended on 7 August 2019. We visited the office location on 1 and 7 August 2019. The Expert by Experience spoke with people and relatives on the telephone on 2 and 5 August 2019.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since their registration. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 12 people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 13 members of staff including the registered manager, provider's head of operations, operations manager, head of recruitment and HR, marketing and communications manager, training manager, compliance manager, medicines auditor, recruitment officer, two area supervisors, head co-ordinator and one of the directors who was the nominated individual. A nominated individual has overall responsibility for supervising the management of the regulated activity and ensuring the quality of the services provided.

We reviewed a range of records which included seven people's care records and four staff files, in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.

After the inspection

We asked care workers to complete a questionnaire and received 26 responses.

Updated 19 September 2019

About the service

TEC House is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own homes. 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 inspection, 265 people were receiving a regulated service.

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

People told us they felt safe. Staff knew how to safeguard people from abuse. Where concerns had been raised, these had been dealt with appropriately. Medicines were managed effectively. Risks to people had been assessed and actions identified to reduce risk. Recruitment practices mostly reduced the risk of unsuitable staff being employed, although could be improved further; the provider had already identified this.

People were supported by suitably trained staff. People's needs were assessed before care was provided and were reviewed regularly. Staff received regular supervisions and said they felt supported by the management team.

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. Staff supported people to access health services if needed. Dietary needs were assessed and, where required, people received support with their meals.

People told us staff were kind and caring. Staff supported people to remain independent and promoted their dignity. People's privacy was respected and their personal information was kept securely.

People's care plans were up to date about their individual needs and preferences. People received appropriate support. Complaints were managed appropriately.

The registered manager had a clear vision about the quality of care they wanted to provide. People’s feedback was sought and acted upon. Staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities. There were a number of quality assurance systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. There was a focus on continuous improvement.

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

Rating at last inspection

This is the first inspection of this agency which registered with CQC on 3 August 2018.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the date the agency first registered with CQC.