Background to this inspection
Updated
16 March 2024
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
This inspection was carried out by 1 inspector and 2 Experts 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 homes.
Registered manager
This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 2 days notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. We also gave time for the registered manager to send us inspection information, so we did not have to spend an extended amount of time in the office of the service.
Inspection activity started on 17 January 2024 and ended on 18 January 2024. We visited the office location on 18 January 2024.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service and we sought feedback from the local authority.
During the inspection we spoke with 8 people who used the service about their experience of the care provided and 7 relatives. We spoke with 4 care staff, the registered manager, the branch manager and a director. We reviewed a range of records. This included 4 people’s care records. We looked at 4 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 also reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found, which was sent to us.
Updated
16 March 2024
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it. At the time of the inspection, the location did not care or support for anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.
About the service
Carelink Healthcare Professionals Ltd is a domiciliary care agency supporting people with their personal care needs in Leicestershire. At the time of inspection, 84 people were using the service. 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.
Right Support: People were kept safe from the potential risk of harm. Details of how to reduce risks to people's safety were included in people's care plans. Care plans reflected people’s individual needs. Enough staff were employed to meet people's needs. People and relatives said safe care was provided, with people protected against abuse, neglect and discrimination.
Timely calls were mainly in place to provide people with the personal care they needed. Where they were not, this was followed up by management. Safe recruitment practices were in place to ensure only suitable staff worked at the service.
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 where required were supported with their medicines. Accidents and incidents were reviewed.
Right Care: People and their relatives were positive about the care and support provided and were involved in discussions and decisions about care and support. People and relatives were very satisfied with the personal care staff provided. They said staff treated people with respect and dignity and staff had a caring and friendly approach to them. They said they had very good relationships with staff. Care plans reflected people’s individual needs.
Right Culture: Systems and practices for oversight and governance of the service were insufficient to monitor the quality and safety of the service provided. The system of auditing had not identified improvements were needed to evidence all issues raised by people and staff had been followed up.
People and relatives spoke positively of the service provided. They were aware of how to approach management to raise concerns or complaints and these were usually responded to swiftly by management. The registered manager understood their responsibilities and worked in an open and transparent way.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Why we inspected
The inspection was to follow up concerns around the governance of the service.
The overall rating for the service has remained good based on the findings of this inspection.
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 14 May 2019).
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.