Archived: Homecomforts

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community in Chinnor and the local surrounding areas. It provides a service to a range of people including, older adults some living with dementia, disabilities and sensory impairments. Not everyone using Homecomforts receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. On the day of the inspection the service was supporting 25 people.

The manager was the provider and registered as an individual and therefore, was not required to register as the manager.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated good:

The service continued to provide safe care to people. People told us they felt safe receiving care from Homecomforts. Staff had received training in safeguarding adults and understood their responsibilities to identify and report any concerns to the manager or outside agencies.

Medicines were managed safely and people received their medicines as prescribed. There were sufficient staff deployed who had the skills and knowledge to ensure people's needs were met. The provider had safe recruitment processes in place, these included completing checks to make sure new staff were safe to work with adults at risk.

People benefited from caring staff who showed kindness and compassion. Staff treated people with dignity and respect.

People and their relatives were involved in their care and supported to remain independent.

Feedback on the service from health and social care professionals was positive. People were supported to maintain good health and were accompanied to appointments as and when required.

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.

The service continued to be responsive. People received personalised care by staff who understood people's individual preferences. The service was flexible and supported people to attend social events and prevent social isolation.

There was a complaints policy and process in place and people regularly saw the manager so they could raise any issues with them.

The service continued to be well led. The service had systems to assess the quality of care the service provided. Learning was identified and action taken to make improvements which improved the service that people received.

There was a registered manager in post at the service. 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 and their relatives complimented the caring approach demonstrated by Homecomforts team. All the feedback received reflected the service exceeded in providing person centred support. People were supported in a way that respected their wishes and preferences and promoted their dignity. The registered manager and their team of staff often went out of their way to provide people with high quality care and support. The registered manager and staff ensured people received compassionate care at the end of their lives.

People were supported by staff that were aware of what action to take if they suspected people were at risk of abuse. There were sufficient numbers of staff employed to provide care. Records confirmed recruitment checks had been carried out to ensure only staff that were suitable and of a good nature were employed to work with people.

Risks to people’s individual needs had been identified. Care records reflected what actions needed to be taken to manage these risks. People received their medicines as prescribed.

People were supported by staff that understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and their responsibilities to respect people’s rights. People were supported by staff to maintain a healthy diet and people’s nutritional needs were assessed and recorded in their care documentation. People had support to access health care services.

People and their relatives, where appropriate, were involved in their care planning. The service responded well to people’s changing needs. People received care and support appropriate to their assessed needs and people commented positively on the flexibility of the service. People told us they knew how to raise concerns but had never needed to as the registered manager ensured all minor concerns were addressed promptly.

The registered manager had effective quality assurance processes in place to monitor the service provided. People and their relatives had opportunities to make suggestions in relation to the support and service they received. The registered manager and the team demonstrated a positive culture and a strong commitment to delivering high quality support.

We found people had care plans in place which enabled care workers to support them in the way they wanted to be supported. One person told us 'they [care worker] are all excellent, every one of them and they know exactly what to do'. A relative told us 'mum likes to be independent, they are brilliant, they let her do what she can and help her with what she wants'.

We found that the service protected people and care was delivered safely. One relative we spoke with told us 'I know mum is in safe hands and that gives me peace of mind'.

Care workers were trained and supported to deliver good care. People who used the service told us that care workers were well trained, one person we spoke with told us 'I know all the staff, they are very well trained'.

We found the service had quality assurance methods in place, which involved people, to make sure they maintained and enhanced the quality of the service they were providing. One person told us "the manager pops in on a regular basis and checks everything is ok". Another person told us "I fill in a form each year about the service, it is always good".