Reed Specialist Recruitment Ltd - Reed Community Care - Cambridge

Updated 20 April 2022

We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.

Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.

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 homes.

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

We gave a short period of notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be able to support the inspection and provide us with information we requested.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. 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 (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection-

This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location's office. We used technology such as telephone calls to enable us to engage with people using the service and staff, and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation. Inspection activity started on 22 March 2022 and ended on 6 April 2022.

Due to people’s complex care and support we spoke with eight relatives about their experience of the care provided to their family members. We spoke with the four members of staff currently providing care, and the registered manager.

We reviewed a range of records. This included the persons care records. We looked at files in relation to recruitment and training. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 20 April 2022

About the service

Reed Specialist Recruitment Ltd - Reed Community Care – Cambridge, is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to 11 people in their own homes 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

The service worked in partnership with children, families and other professionals to achieve individualised, person-centred care. Feedback about the care and support provided to people was overall complimentary. One relative told us, “I think the best part of the service is the management because they have a strong recruitment side. They are very professional. They are very positive and well organised.

People were supported by a staff team who were safely recruited, trained and supported in their role. Staff spoke positively about the leadership and management of the service.

Systems were in place for the safe management of medicines.

Staff received appropriate induction and training to equip them to support people well. The registered manager carried out an assessment of needs before people started using 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 and their relatives told us they felt cared for by staff who treated them with respect and dignity. People were encouraged to maintain their independence and make their own choices about their lives.

Effective systems were in place to monitor and review outcomes for people. The provider had a complaints policy in place which was provided to people and relatives before care visits began.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

This service was registered with us on 11 September 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This service had not previously been inspected and we wanted to check that people were receiving safe care and support.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

This was an ‘inspection using remote technology’. This means we did not visit the office location and instead used technology such as electronic file sharing to gather information, and video and phone calls to engage with people using the service as part of this performance review and assessment.