Updated 12 October 2022
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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type
Icare Solutions NW Ltd is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
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.
Registered Manager
This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post. However, the registered manager was in the process of leaving the service and a new manager had been recruited who was in the process of becoming registered with CQC.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service two days’ notice of the inspection. This was because we wanted to ensure the registered manager was available to speak with us.
Inspection activity started on 9 September 2022 and ended on 16 September 2022. We visited the location’s office on 9 September 2022.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since its registration.
The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We attended the office and spoke with two members of staff, including the manager and the registered provider.
We looked at records in relation to people who used the service, including two care plans and systems for monitoring the quality of the service provided.
We also made a visit to a person being supported by the service in their own home and spoke with both them and their relative.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at staff training and quality assurance records. We also spoke with a relative on the telephone to help us understand their experience of the care and support their loved one received. We also spoke with three members of care staff on the telephone.