Lorablooms Care Services Ltd

Updated 13 November 2021

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 an inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

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 also offered some supported living. However, no one was using this at the time of inspection. Under supported living, people’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements.

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 small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four members of staff including the registered manager, the administrator, who also did some work as a support worker, a student social worker who was on placement at the service at the time of inspection and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. This included multiple medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We reviewed care plans and risk assessments relating to five people. We looked at training data and quality assurance records and reviewed a range of policies and procedures. We spoke with a support worker employed by the provider and 10 relatives of people who used the service.

Updated 13 November 2021

About the service

Lorablooms Care Services Ltd is a domiciliary care agency, providing personal care to 22 people at the time of the inspection. The provider specialised in providing support to children and younger adults who had a learning disability or were on the autistic spectrum. The provider offered a supported living service, but no one was using this at the time of inspection.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. 51 people in total were using the service, and only 22 of those received support with 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.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Relatives generally expressed great satisfaction with the service. This was summed up by one who said, “The carers we’ve got are the best we’ve ever had. They’re the kind of people that genuinely care. The skills required are compassion, empathy and patience. Not a single complaint.”

Systems were in place to help safeguard people from abuse. Risk assessments were in place which set out the risks people faced and included information about how to mitigate those risks. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs, and the provider had robust staff recruitment practices. Medicines were managed in a safe way. Steps had been taken to help prevent the spread of infections. Accidents and incidents were investigated so lessons could be learnt.

Initial assessments were carried out of people’s needs to see if the provider could meet them. Staff received training and supervision to support them in their role. The provider worked with other agencies to meet people’s health care needs. People were supported to eat a healthy diet and were able to make choices about what they ate and drank.

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; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Relatives told us that staff were kind and caring and treated people well. People were supported to have control and choice over their daily lives. People’s privacy was respected, and staff understood the importance of maintaining confidentiality.

Care plans were in place which set out how to meet the individual needs of people. People and relatives were involved in developing these plans, which meant they were able to reflect people's needs and preferences. The service used different ways to help communicate with people, depending on their individual needs. People were supported to engage in a variety of social and leisure activities. There was a complaints procedure in place, and this had been followed when complaints were made.

Quality assurance and monitoring systems were in place to help drive improvements at the service. There was an open and positive culture at the service which meant people, relatives and staff could express their views. The provider was aware of their legal obligations, and worked with other agencies to develop best practice and share knowledge.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. Care provided was person-centred, based around the needs of individuals. People were able to make decisions and choices about their care, and relatives told us they felt listened to and that people were treated in line with the values of Right Support, right care, right culture. This included supporting people to lead active lives within their local communities.

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

Rating at the last inspection

This service was registered with us on 16 July 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This service had not previously been inspected and we wanted to check that people were receiving safe care

and support.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service.