Background to this inspection
Updated
8 November 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 completed 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 visit because it is small and the registered manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in. Inspection activity started on 17th October 2019 and ended on 18th October 2019. We visited the office location on 18th October 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 who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with one person who used the service and one relative about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. This included one person’s care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including feedback comments, complaints folders and audit records.
Updated
8 November 2019
About the service
Elfcareuk is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to both younger and older people in their own homes in Derbyshire.
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 our inspection one person was receiving personal care as part of their care package.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were cared for in a safe manner. Risks to people’s health and wellbeing were appropriately assessed, managed and recorded. Staff were safely recruited and sufficient in number to support the geographical area. There was good infection control practice embedded in the service. Systems were in place to ensure lessons were learnt when things went wrong.
People were supported to receive care in a person-centred manner and this was reflected in care planning. Staff acknowledged, and respected people’s needs and choices. Staff were effectively trained in topics relevant to their role. Staff understood the importance of working with other healthcare professionals to ensure people were supported to live healthier and independent lives.
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 were supported by staff who were caring and kind. People were supported by a small team of staff who people knew well and they had supportive and meaningful relationships with staff. People’s independence was promoted and their privacy and dignity were respected by staff.
The provider was responsive. People had personalised care plans that promoted independence. Staff identified people’s information and communication needs by assessing them. People were supported to engage in hobbies and interests important to them. People and relatives knew how to make a complaint and felt confident they would be listened to.
The service was well-led. Systems had been developed to review how the service was managed and to review the quality of the care provision. The registered manager understood the importance of gaining people’s views about the quality of the service.
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 03/10/2018 and this is the first inspection
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the provider’s registration date.
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.