Sambhana Care Ltd

Updated 13 August 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

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 not a registered manager in post. The previous registered manager left the service in May 2022. The provider has completed recruitment of a new manager and agreed they will start with the service formally in August 2022.

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

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 not a registered manager in post. The previous registered manager left the service in May 2022. The provider has completed recruitment of a new manager and agreed they will start with the service formally in August 2022.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 30 June 2022 and ended on 11 July 2022. We visited the location’s office on 30 June 2022 and 1 July 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since registration. The provider did not complete the required Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about the service, what it does well and improvements they plan to make.

We used this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and their relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff including the provider, supervisor and care workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and medication records. We looked at three 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. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 13 August 2022

About the service

Sambhana Care is a domiciliary care agency based in Chatham, Kent. The service provides personal care to people living in their own houses or flats. 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. The service was supporting five people at time of the inspection with personal care.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Risk assessments were not always in place where they needed to be. Current staff knew people well and were able to support their needs. However, new staff potentially would not have the information they needed to support people. This put people at potential risk of harm and at risk of receiving inconsistent care.

Records of medicines people required support with were inconsistent. Most people had full assessments and information for staff on what medicines was to be given and the level of support required. One did not have any information but was having support with their medicines. Competencies in providing safe support with medicines had not been assessed for all staff. However, people and their loved ones we spoke with, told us they had no concerns with medicine administration.

Audits and checks of the service had not taken place regularly in the months prior to the inspection. Care plans were not reviewed to ensure they were up to date and contained appropriate documentation of potential risks. We did not see evidence of trends analysis to further aid learning and drive improvements.

People's care needs had been assessed when they started with the service and people and their relatives told us they were able to 'tweak and change' their care plans as needed.

Where incidents and accidents had occurred, these had been reported. Staff were able to demonstrate knowledge of the different types of abuse a person may be at risk of and how they would report these.

Staff had been recruited safely. Feedback from people about the care they received from regular staff who stayed the duration required, was mainly positive. People told us they felt safe and staff were caring, respectful and polite.

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.

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 23 October 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Enforcement

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified breaches in relation to safe care and treatment and good governance at this inspection.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.