Background to this inspection
Updated
31 January 2020
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.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
At the time of inspection, there was no registered manager. The registered manager and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. The manager in post at the time of the inspection had completed an application to register as the manager with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). We have referred to this person as the manager throughout the report.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before the 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. 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.
During the inspection
We spoke with three people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with a social care professional, six members of staff including the manager, senior support workers and support workers.
We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We reviewed evidence provided by a professional who regularly visits the service.
Updated
31 January 2020
About the service
Harrogate and Craven Crossroads Caring for Carers is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to 32 people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 100 people.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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
People were kept safe from the risks of harm and abuse. Staff knew how to recognise and respond to concerns of abuse and people had risks assessments in place to guide staff to mitigate risk. Recruitment checks were in place to ensure staff were suitable to work at the service. Staff followed best practice guidance to ensure medicines were managed and administered safely.
People received effective support and were involved in developing their care plans. All staff completed an induction to their role and were provided with ongoing training, supervision and appraisal. Staff confirmed they had the right skills and knowledge to support people safely in line with best practice guidance.
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 said staff were kind, friendly and caring. People and staff shared caring relationships based on respect and valuing people as individuals.
Care was provided in responsive ways, focused on achieving people's chosen goals. Staff worked with people and their families to maintain their relationships and facilitate access to community services. Staff knew people's wishes and preferences, they used this to provide person-centred care.
People told us the service was well managed and they liked staff. Staff spoke positively about the way they were managed, they told us the management team were approachable and listened to them when they had any concerns. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and to respond to concerns and complaints.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the Care Quality Commission website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection.
The last rating for this service was good (published 05 May 2015). Since this rating was awarded the registered provider of the service has changed. We have used the previous rating to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.