Background to this inspection
Updated
11 July 2019
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 team included one inspector.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes in the community.
The service had two managers 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 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 19 June 2019 and ended on 21 June 2019. We visited the office location on 19 June 2019 and visited two people receiving support in their homes.
What we did before the inspection
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.
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 all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with six people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eight members of staff including the provider (who was the nominated individual and a registered manager), the second registered manager, office staff and care givers. 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 four people’s care records, medication records and staff training 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.
Updated
11 July 2019
About the service
Senior Care Services Limited is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people in their own homes. 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. At the time of the inspection, the service was providing personal care to 31 people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People spoke positively about the staff and the quality of care they received. Staff were incredibly motivated to provide care that was kind, caring and compassionate and it was evident this ethos was promoted by all the management team. Without exception, people told us they received high quality and person-centred care and they valued their relationships with staff. The registered managers understood the need for people to be supported by staff who they knew, had developed relationships with and that they could trust, leading to good outcomes for people using the service.
We were told of many examples where staff had gone the extra mile to ensure people’s individual needs and wishes were met. Staff were very motivated and proud of the service they worked for. One staff member told us, “I would really recommend the company.”
Two registered managers were in post, one of whom was also the registered provider. They were committed to delivering outstanding care to people and continually looked for innovative ways to develop relationships with other professionals to achieve this. They also aimed to provide inclusive care to the local community and worked with local businesses to raise funds and awareness of issues relating to people living in the community.
The service was dedicated to providing care that put people at the centre of everything they did. People and their relatives were actively involved in the creation of care plans and regular reviews provided opportunity for people to share their views and inform any changes required. Visit times were based on people's preferred times and were adjusted when necessary to meet their changing needs. Staff were incredibly responsive and perceptive to people’s changing needs and support was adjusted when required to ensure people’s needs continued to be met.
The service was creative and innovative in supporting people to live well. They aimed to break the taboos associated with ageing and dementia and held regular events to provide people with information and advice on how to stay happy and healthy in older age. Staff worked hard to support people to continue their interests and maintain relationships that were important to them.
People told us they felt safe, well supported and would recommend the service to others. This support was provided by staff who had been safely recruited, who people knew well and who arrived when planned.
Staff told us they felt valued and well supported in their roles. New staff completed a four-day induction training course prior to providing any support to people and following mandatory training, additional courses were available specific to people’s needs. Staff were provided with the time and training required to provide person-centred, compassionate support.
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’s consent to their care and treatment was sought and recorded in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
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 this service was good (published 30 December 2016).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.