Background to this inspection
Updated
29 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 four inspectors.
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. This was because it is a domiciliary care 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
The provider completed 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
Two inspectors checked documentation at the office, one inspector carried out visits to people’s home and a fourth inspector carried out telephone interviews. We looked at six people’s care plans, medication records, five recruitment files and a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures. We visited and spoke with three people who were receiving care from the service. We spoke with six people and one relative by telephone. As part of the inspection, we also spoke with six staff members, the registered manager and two members of the provider’s senior management team.
After the inspection
We received information requested from the registered manager about a potential missed call for one person.
Updated
29 January 2020
Hartwig Care South is a domiciliary care agency that was supporting 48 people in their own homes. Not everyone who used the service received a regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene, medicines and eating. At the time of our inspection, 40 people were receiving the regulated activity. People using the service had a physically disability, learning disability or were living with dementia.
People’s experience of using this service
People said staff were kind and caring, generally arrived on time and that they saw the same staff members. People reported being happy with staff’s support in relation to food and drink, medicines and contacting health professionals if they were unwell. We have however made recommendations to the registered provider in relation to travelling time for staff between care calls and also missed calls.
Risks to people had been identified and guidance was in place for staff and people told us they felt safe. People’s care plans contained sufficient information for staff to know what care to provide and where people’s needs changed the agency adjusted the schedules to accommodate this.
People felt staff were competent and that they always treated them with respect and dignity as well as supporting them to remain independent. People told us they had not felt the need to complain but the office and registered manager listened to them and responded to their calls.
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.
Quality assurance audits were completed and people were also asked to give their views through an annual questionnaires. Shortfalls were addressed when appropriate as well as the agency looking for new ways to further improve 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 (and update)
The last rating for this service was Requires Improvement (report published 30 November 2018). Since this rating was awarded the registered provider 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 intelligence 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.