Deckchair Care

Updated 16 March 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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team: This inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.

Service and service type: Deckchair Care is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. Not everyone using Deckchair Care received a regulated activity; the Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection, 21 people were receiving personal care.

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 manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

Inspection site visit activity started on 28 February 2019 and ended on 01 March 2019. We visited the office location on 28 February 2019 to see the registered manager and director; and to review care records and policies and procedures. We made calls to people using the service, relatives and staff on 01 March 2019.

What we did: We reviewed information we had received about the service, this included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse; and we sought feedback from the local authority and a professional who work with the service. We contacted the local authority safeguarding and commissioning teams to gather information about the service. They raised no concerns about the care and support people received from Deckchair Care. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During our inspection we spoke with five members of care staff including the management team, five people using the service, and six relatives. We also contacted a health and social care professional that had experienced working with the service.

We reviewed a range of records. This included care records, information relating to staff recruitment and supervision and the training records for all staff. We also reviewed records relating to the management of the service and a variety of policies and procedures developed and implemented by the provider.

Updated 16 March 2019

About the service: Deckchair Care is a domiciliary care agency. At the time of our inspection, the service was providing care to 21 people who were living in their own homes.

People’s experience of using this service: This was a small service that employed 9 care staff. This meant staff and people using the service got to know one another, and care was consistent.

People and relatives told us care staff were kind and caring in their approach. People told us care staff communicated well with them and acted in an open and transparent way.

Care plans were person-centred and provided staff with the information they needed to provide care and support in a way that met people’s needs and preferences.

People’s calls were usually on time or staff called if they were going to be late. The provider monitored care staff attendance at calls using electronic call monitoring.

Medicines were managed in line with good practice guidance.

Care staff assessed risks to people’s health, safety and wellbeing and put plans in place to manage these risks.

People told us they would feel confident to raise any complaints they might have. We saw complaints were identified, investigated and used to improve the service.

There were processes in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service.

The service had a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. The registered manager was also one of two directors at the service which made up the current management team.

The management team had the knowledge and experience to operate the service safely and effectively. They demonstrated a good understanding of all aspects of managing the service such as safeguarding procedures and medicines management.

The service met the characteristics of good in all areas. More information is in the full report

Rating at last inspection: Deckchair Care was re-registered in February 2019 following a change of office address. The provider had been operating since 2017 from a previous address. This was Deckchair Care’s first rated inspection.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection. Our announced inspection started on 28th February 2019 and ended on 1 March 2019. This included telephone calls to people and their relatives using the service.

Follow up: Going forward we will continue to monitor this service and plan to inspect in line with our reinspection schedule for services rated Good.