Background to this inspection
Updated
26 April 2016
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This inspection took place on 24 March 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 24 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure someone would be in. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
The provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form which asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We requested information about the home from the local authority and Healthwatch. The local authority has responsibility for funding people who used the service and monitoring its quality. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion, which promotes the views and experiences of people who use health and social care. We also reviewed the information we held about the home and looked to see if any notifications had been sent to us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.
We spoke with three people who used the service and two relatives after the inspection. We spoke with four staff and the registered manager during the inspection.
We looked at four records about people’s care and medicines, three staff recruitment files and complaint information. We also saw the quality checks about people’s care completed by the registered manager.
Updated
26 April 2016
This inspection took place on 24 March and was announced.
SureCare (Kidderminster, Stourport & Bewdley) provides personal care and support for people in their own homes. There were 15 people using the service when we inspected and there was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
All people felt the staff provided care which was safe. Staff took action to help people stay safe by considering what people’s individual risks were and by working with them so their risks would be managed and their health and well-being was maintained or improved.
Staff understood what to do if they felt a person was at risk of potential abuse and were confident any reported incidents would be addressed. There were enough staff so people were able to receive care at times which suited them. Some people managed their medicines independently. Other people were supported by staff to take their medicines in a safe way. All people we spoke with felt staff knew their needs and preferences and had the skills and knowledgeable to care for them. Staff told us they received regular training and supervisions which helped staff provide care to people they supported.
People were encouraged to make their own day to day decisions about their care and staff sought people’s agreement before care was given. Care plans recorded what care people needed and gave guidance to staff on the best way to provide care to people in the ways which suited them.
Some people managed their meals on their own. Other people were supported by staff to have enough to eat and drink so they remained well. People were prompted to see their GPs or specialists where needed. Staff worked with health professionals so people’s health would be maintained or improved where this was required.
People told us they enjoyed staff’s company and had developed bonds and good relationships with the staff providing their care. People also felt staff respected their need for dignity and privacy.
People were encouraged to let staff know how what care they wanted and plans were put in place which were driven by people’s choices and preferences. People’s care was regularly reviewed and people told us staff were flexible when their care needed to be changed, so people continued to receive the care they needed in ways they wanted.
People, relatives and staff felt the registered manager was approachable and would act on feedback given, so the service would continue to improve. Staff felt supported by the registered manager and were encouraged to make suggestions to improve the service further. People and staff felt their voices were heard by the registered manager. People benefited from receiving a service where the registered manager and provider regularly checked the quality of the care they received. Where actions were identified, steps were taken to improve the service further.