Background to this inspection
Updated
25 March 2023
The inspection
We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.
Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by 1 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 houses and flats.
Registered Manager
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was announced.
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 available to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 9 March 2023 and ended on 17 March 2023.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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 (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 5 people who used the service and 6 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We communicated with 6 staff including the registered manager and care workers. We reviewed a range of records including 4 people’s care plans and reviewed systems in place to managed people’s medicines safely. We reviewed information and documents about the management of the service.
This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We used technology such as video calls to enable us to engage with people using the service and staff, and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation.
Updated
25 March 2023
About the service
Intercare Services Direct Ltd is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to adults living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 65 people using the service.
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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The provider had improved quality management systems to ensure issues were identified quickly and appropriate actions taken. The registered manager had several systems in place to gain people’s feedback and ensured they used suggestions and ideas to improve the service.
Professionals working with the provider were complimentary and felt Intercare Services Direct Limited, were a caring provider.
Risks associated with people's care were identified and actions were taken to mitigate risks. The provider had a safeguarding procedure in place and staff knew what actions to take to safeguard people from the risk of abuse. Staff were recruited safely, and pre-employments checks were carried out to ensure suitable staff were employed. Medicines were managed safely.
Staff received training and competency checks to ensure they had the skills and were competent to administer medicines safely. The provider was taking appropriate action to ensure infection control was monitored safely. PPE was available to use as required. There were systems in place to ensure lessons were learned when things went wrong.
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's needs were assessed, and care delivered in line with them. Care packages were reviewed regularly to ensure people's current needs were reflected.
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 requires improvement (published 18 February 2021) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment and leadership.
At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
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.
This was an ‘inspection using remote technology.’ This means we did not visit the office location and instead used technology such as electronic file sharing to gather information, and video and phone calls to engage with people using the service as part of this performance review and assessment.