TLC Homecare Services

Updated 18 April 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: The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type: TLC Homecare Services is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. Not everyone using TLC Homecare Services receives a regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene, eating and medication. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

The service had two managers 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 four days’ notice of the inspection visit. We needed to be sure the registered manager would be available to facilitate this inspection.

Inspection site visit activity started on 18 February 2019 and ended on 29 March 2019. We visited the office location on 21 March 2019. On 18 February and 29 March 2019, we spoke with people using the service, their relatives and staff by telephone.

What we did: Before the inspection the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). 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 looked at information we held about the service including notifications they had made to us about important events.

We also reviewed information sent to us from other stakeholders including the local authority and members of the public.

We spoke with three people during our visit, and one health professional on the telephone. We also spoke with one staff and two registered managers during our visit.

We reviewed three people's care records, policies and procedures, documents relating to the management of the service, training records and three staff recruitment records.

Updated 18 April 2019

About the service: TLC Homecare Services is a domiciliary care agency. At the time of the inspection it provided personal care and support to 34 people aged 65 and over.

People’s experience of using this service: People were supported safely and protected from harm. There were systems in place to reduce the risk of abuse and to assess and monitor potential risks to people.

Incidents and accidents were managed effectively. Risk assessments had been completed. They provided detailed guidance for staff to follow and were reviewed regularly.

Medicines were managed safely and people told us they received their medicines as prescribed. Health and safety checks were carried out to ensure people remained safe in their homes. Staff used personal protective equipment to prevent against cross infection.

There were enough staff to meet the needs of people who used the service. Recruitment checks were robust and new staff completed an induction and training programme.

People and their relatives had positive relationships with staff and told us they were caring. Staff treated people with respect and dignity. People were involved in decisions about their care and encouraged by staff to be as independent as possible.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Initial assessments were carried out to ensure people’s needs could be met and personalised care plans followed. Staff understood people’s preferences and people told us they were offered choices about their care. Regular reviews were carried out with people using the service to gather their views.

People were supported with their nutritional needs. People were supported to live a healthy life and staff supported people to access health care professionals when required.

A complaints system was in place and these were managed effectively. People and staff told us they felt confident to raise any concerns and felt these would be managed.

The provider had embedded quality assurance systems to monitor the quality and safety of the care provided. The provider worked in partnership with other services to support people’s care and quality of life.

The management team were open, honest and supportive. People told us the management team were approachable and staff said they felt supported.

Rating at last inspection: At the last inspection the service was rated Good (published 6 July 2016). The overall rating has remained good.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating of good.

Follow up: Going forward we will continue to monitor this service and plan to inspect in line with our re-inspection schedule for those services rated Good. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

More information is in the full report below. For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk