Archived: SureCare Southend

Surecare Southend is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection 79 people were using the service.

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

The registered manager had not always notified the relevant authorities of safeguarding concerns. This included notifying CQC in line with regulatory requirements.

Recruitment procedures were safe. Staff had been recruited following relevant checks being completed. Although there were enough staff to meet people’s care and support needs, some people raised concerns about the timings of care call visits and not knowing which staff would be coming.

Risk assessments were in place to manage the potential risks within people’s lives. People received their prescribed medicine by trained staff. Staff had access to appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to help prevent the spread of infection.

Staff received an induction when they first started work at the service. They were trained and competent to fulfil their role and responsibilities. Staff received supervision and appraisals to monitor their performance.

People were supported to maintain good health and access health care professionals. Where required, people were supported with their nutritional needs.

Except for one person, people and their relatives spoke positively about the kind, caring attitude of staff. People were treated with dignity and respect and their independence promoted.

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.

We received negative feedback about how the service was well led. Some people and their relatives told us communication was poor; this mainly related to care call visits.

There were systems in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service provided, however further improvements were required to drive improvements.

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 provider’s previous premises was good (report published on 18 April 2018).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about how the service was managing safeguard concerns. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe and well led sections of this full report.

You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

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

Enforcement

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection.

We have identified one breach in relation to safeguarding people from the risk of harm and abuse.

Follow up

We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.