Background to this inspection
Updated
28 January 2016
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.’
This inspection took place on 2 December 2015 and was announced. The provider was given notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in. A second day of inspection took place on 7 December 2015, and was announced.
The inspection team consisted of one adult social care inspector.
We reviewed information we held about the service, including the notifications we had received from the provider. Notifications are changes, events or incidents the provider is legally obliged to send us within required timescales. We sent questionnaires to 50 people who use the service, 50 relatives and five community professionals asking for their views. 17 people who used the service and three relatives completed the questionnaire.
We contacted the commissioners of the relevant local authorities and the local authority safeguarding team to gain their views of the service provided by Carewatch
During the inspection we spoke with 11 people who used the service. We looked at seven care plans, three Medicine Administration Records (MARs) and handover sheers. We spoke with nine members of staff, including the registered manager, a care co-ordinator, a supervisor, the administrator and care staff. We looked at six staff files, which included recruitment records.
Updated
28 January 2016
This inspection took place on 2 December 2015 and was announced. The provider was given notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in. A second day of inspection took place on 7 December 2015, and was announced.
Carewatch (Redcar and Cleveland) is a domiciliary care service which provides personal care to people within their own home. It is based in Redcar and provides care and support to people in the Redcar, Eston and Marske area. At the time of the inspection 123 people used the service.
The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People felt safe using the service. Risks to them were fully assessed and care plans were designed to minimise them. Staff understood safeguarding issues, and the service operated procedures to deal with any incidents that occurred.
The service had policies and procedures in place to ensure that medicines were handled safely. Accurate records were kept to show when medicines had been administered.
People were supported by a stable team of staff, who knew them and their needs. Where changes were made to teams people were told about this in advance. The service operated recruitment procedures that ensured that only suitable people were employed.
Staff received regular training in the areas they needed to support people effectively. Their performance was monitored and supported through a regular system of supervisions and appraisals.
Staff had a working knowledge of the principles of consent and the Mental Capacity Act and understood how this applied to supporting people in their own homes.
Where appropriate, staff supported people to enjoy a good diet suitable food and nutrition. People were supported to access external health services to ensure their general health and wellbeing.
People and their relatives spoke highly of the service and said that it provided high-quality care. People said they were treated with dignity and respect.
Care plans detailed people’s individual needs and preferences which meant that they received personalised support. People and their relatives were involved in care planning.
The service had clear procedures for dealing with complaints, and these were applied when issues arose.
Feedback from people and staff was regularly sought and used to maintain and improve standards.
Staff described a positive culture that focused on delivering high-quality care, and felt supported by the registered manager to deliver this. Staff were kept informed about the operation of the service.