Norton Nurses Limited

Updated 9 March 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small, and people are often out, and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

Inspection activity started on 16 February and ended on 23 February 2023. We visited the location’s office on 16 and 23 February 2023.

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 and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people who used the service and 8 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 6 members of staff including the registered manager 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 3 people’s care records and medicine administration records. We looked at 5 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We also reviewed a variety of records relating to the management and oversight of the service, including policies and procedures.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 9 March 2023

About the service

Norton Nurses Limited is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 29 people using the service.

Not everyone who used the service received 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

People received safe care from a regular team of staff who had received the training and support required to carry out their roles. Staff knew how to keep people safe from abuse or harm. Safe recruitment practices were in place. People received their prescribed medicines safely and there were effective practices to protect people from infection.

People’s needs were assessed before they used the service. Risks to people’s health were assessed and plans were in place to reduce any risks identified; these were reviewed regularly to ensure staff knew how to meet their needs.

People’s independence, privacy and dignity were promoted. Staff were kind, friendly and respectful. People and their relatives described knowledgeable staff who were punctual and provided all their planned care.

People knew who to speak with if they had any complaint or concern. There was a complaints procedure in place so any complaint would be dealt with appropriately.

People and staff had confidence in the registered manager to manage the service well and were encouraged to give feedback. The provider and registered manager monitored the service and had implemented new systems to improve the oversight of all areas to gain a clearer understanding in how to improve the service.

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.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for the service was Requires Improvement, published on 25 Jun 2019.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. The overall rating for the service has changed from Requires Improvement to Good based on the findings of this inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.