Unique Senior Care - Solihull

Updated 27 August 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

One inspector completed the inspection.

Service and service type

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

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

This inspection was announced. 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 and professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. 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 took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with nine members of staff including the provider, registered manager, care coordinator and care workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two 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.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at case studies, training, and a range of quality assurance records.

Updated 27 August 2021

Unique Care - Solihull is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to 12 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. 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 excellent care from care staff who had taken extra time to get to know them well. Care staff consistently exceeded people’s expectations and people were fully involved and respected. People had received care which fully promoted their independence and ensured they regained control over areas of their lives which were important to them.

People’s care had been planned with them and was highly individualised to them. Care staff had ensured people got to do things they enjoyed and helped them discover new interests. People had been supported to be free of isolation and loneliness through care staff who were dedicated to promoting this.

The management team were committed to providing excellent care and were able to show how positive this had been for people who used the service. People were extremely positive in their feedback and the significant impact it had on their lives. Relatives knew their family members were in receipt of excellent care and had every confidence in the staff at Unique Senior Care – Solihull.

People received care which was safe, and staff understood how to support people to maintain their safety. People’s medicines were administered as expected. The provider checked the suitability of new staff through their recruitment processes. Care staff used personal protective equipment [PPE] and supported people to reduce the risk of infection.

People were supported by care staff who were trained and supported by the management team. Care staff cooked fresh meals for people and promoted good nutrition to prevent the risk of malnutrition. 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

This service was registered with us on 15/10/2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.