Background to this inspection
Updated
30 December 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
The inspection was carried out by one inspector and an Expert by Experience. 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.
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 unannounced.
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice when we visited the location office. 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.
Inspection activity started on 22 October 2021 and ended on 23 November 2021. We visited the office location on 18 November 2021.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since its registration. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used all this information to plan our 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.
During the inspection
We spoke with six relatives about their experience of the care provided. We received email feedback from five health and social care professionals. To gain a view on what it was like working for the service, we also spoke with, or received email feedback from eight members of staff. This included the registered manager, deputy manager, clinical coordinator, and health care support workers.
Updated
30 December 2021
About the service
Invent Health Essex is a domiciliary care agency providing nursing and or personal care to children and adults living with families or in their own home in the community. 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 our inspection the service was supporting eleven children and seven younger adults who have complex nursing and, or health care needs. Some children and younger adults had additional learning disabilities.
In this report, where we have referred to person or people, this covers children and younger adults who are the service’s current client group.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The service was responsive and caring in meeting children’s and young adults nursing care and support needs. Staff were highly motivated, caring and compassionate, sharing a joint focus of providing safe, quality, person centred care. They spoke of the close bonds they had formed with the child and young adults they supported, as well as their families.
One relative told us, “From the minute Invent Health came to do the first assessment it was like a different world. Staff are always so well trained,” and, “Everyone is so lovely and approachable, from the managers and nurses to the carers… they’re all so kind and caring.” Another said, “I can’t think of any improvements they could make; they tick all the boxes for us they are as best as anybody could be.”
Safeguarding children and adults’ procedures were in place to guide staff. The registered manager and staff understood their role in reporting any concerns, and who to. The service followed safe recruitment procedures. Families were involved in the selection of the staff team who would be working in their home, providing their child’s care and support.
Staff praised the induction they received, which gave them the confidence and competence to provide safe care. One relative told us, “I think the staff are very well trained and very skilled, they’re not even afraid to challenge us at times if they think we’re not doing something how it should be.”
Relatives told us staff provided safe care and knew who to contact if they had any concerns. They told us staff followed current guidance in relation to COVID-19 which included the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
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.
The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service, and worked well alongside other professionals and external agencies, to support individual needs.
The registered manager engaged and consulted with people using the service, relatives, staff, health and social care professionals. Staff felt supported and valued saying they would recommend the service as a good place to work.
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 10 October 2018 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned first inspection following registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
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.