Home Instead

Updated 14 October 2022

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 one inspector. Following the visit to the location office, an Expert by Experience completed telephone calls to people and their relatives. 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.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post. However, the current manager and general manager were in the process of registering with the Care Quality Commission for this service.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us. Inspection activity started on 31 August 2022 and ended on 7 September 2022. We visited the location’s office/service on 31 August 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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 reviewed a range of records. This included five people's care records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, were reviewed. We spoke with six people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the manager, general manager, training manager and four care staff, known within this service as care professionals.

Updated 14 October 2022

About the service

Home Instead is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 134 people using the service. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is to 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 staff who knew them well. There was a safeguarding policy in place and staff knew how to identify and report any concerns. The service had enough staff to meet the needs of the people using the service. Staff had been safely recruited and pre employment checks carried out. Medicines were managed and administered safely. A medicines policy was in place. Staff had received medicines training and regular competency checks were in place.

Staff had received a comprehensive programme of support including an induction, training and ongoing supervision programme. The management team carried out regular competency checks to ensure staff were providing safe, effective and quality care that people were happy with. 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. People were supported to access a wide range of health care professionals and people received timely care and support.

People received compassionate care from kind and caring staff who loved their job and were passionate about providing good care. People were involved in decisions about their care and were treated with kindness, privacy, dignity and respect. Staff were recruited for their caring nature and had time to spend with people during their care calls.

Care plans were very detailed, inclusive and person-centred and written with full involvement of people and those important to them. Any changes were reviewed and updated to ensure plans reflected current need. Staff knew people well and were aware of people’s needs and their individual preferences for care. People were supported to maintain their independence, social links and hobbies.

The service had new franchise owners and a new manager who was in the process of registering with the CQC along with the general manager. Management systems, such as audits and quality assurance, were robust and actively used to monitor and continuously improve the service. There was a person-centred and positive culture with community and staff engagement. The service gave person-centred, caring and professional support to people, their relatives and staff and aimed to continuously improve.

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 at the previous premises was good, published on 26 May 2018.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Home Instead on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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