Healthvision UK Ltd - North Kensington

Updated 9 January 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This comprehensive inspection took place on 7 November 2017. We gave the service 48 hours' notice of the inspection because we needed to ensure the registered manager would be available.

Before the inspection took place we looked at information we held about the service including registration information, complaints and statutory notifications. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

On this occasion we did not ask the provider to send us a provider information return (PIR). This is information we ask providers to send us at least once annually to give us some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. However, we offered the provider the opportunity to share information with us that they felt was relevant, during and following the inspection process.

One inspector visited the provider’s office location on 7 November 2017 to review people’s care records, the provider’s policies and procedures, meeting minutes and communication records. We spoke with five staff on site including the registered manager, the managing director and three care supervisors. We reviewed care records for 12 people using the service, 10 records in relation to staff recruitment, training and supervision, as well as records related to the quality monitoring of the service.

Following the site inspection, four experts by experience spoke with 36 people using the service and 19 family members. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. We also contacted seven members of care staff to gain feedback about their roles and the management of the service.

Updated 9 January 2018

This comprehensive inspection was announced and took place on 7 November 2017. We gave the service 48 hours' notice of the inspection because we needed to ensure the registered manager would be available.

Whilst we have taken into account any wider social care and support provided to people in their homes and in the community, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out this inspection only in relation to the regulated activity of ‘personal care’.

Healthvision UK Ltd - North Kensington is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to adults living in their own homes in and around North West London.

At the time of our inspection 653 people were using the service of which 630 were being supported with personal care tasks.

We rated the service good at our previous inspection in August 2015. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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's needs were assessed prior to them receiving a service. This ensured the care provided would be appropriate and fully able to meet their needs.

People were provided with a service user guide and were asked to sign a contract of agreement (where appropriate) before a package of care was delivered.

People's care plans were developed with them and their relatives (where appropriate) and updated on a regular basis or when there was a change to their care needs.

People were treated with kindness and compassion and staff had established positive and caring relationships with the people they were supporting.

Staff were knowledgeable about the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 legislation and sought people's consent before providing any care and support. Staff ensured people's privacy and dignity was protected and promoted.

People felt safe. Staff had been provided with safeguarding training to enable them to recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse. Safeguarding training was refreshed on a regular basis in line with the provider’s policies and procedures.

There were risk management plans in place to protect and promote people's safety. Staff understood how to protect people from harm and were confident that any concerns would be reported and investigated by the registered manager.

People's medicines were managed safely and in line with best practice guidelines. If required, staff supported people to access healthcare services and other organisations.

Where the service was responsible, people were supported to access the food and drink of their choice.

There were safe recruitment practices in place and these were being followed to ensure staff employed were suitable for their role. Staffing numbers were sufficient to keep people safe and double up care was in place for people who required this.

Staff received an induction when they first commenced working at the service. Staff were supported by the registered manager and had regular one to one supervision and annual appraisals with their line managers.

People were able to express their views and to be involved in making decisions in relation to their care and support needs.

The service had a complaints procedure in place and most people said they would feel comfortable making a complaint if the need arose. The majority of complaints stemmed from late visits and the use of care staff who were unfamiliar to people using the service.

Accidents and incidents were appropriately recorded and appropriate action had been taken to reduce the risks of any repeat accidents.

People and staff were positive about the registered manager and felt well supported in their roles.

The provider had systems in place to monitor staff visits and evaluate staff performance. The provider was developing communication technology and was serious about driving forward improvements that benefited people using the service, relatives and staff members.