Background to this inspection
Updated
9 August 2023
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
The inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors 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.
Registered Manager
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post who was also the provider.
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 or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 18 July June 2023 and ended on 21 July 2023.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed the information we had received about the provider since it registered with CQC. We sought feedback from the local authority. 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 service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 11 people who used the service and 10 people’s family members about their experience of the care provided.
We also spoke with the registered manager and 3 care staff, a further 6 care staff completed a questionnaire we sent them. We looked at the care records for 4 people and various medicines records. We checked that the care they received matched the information in their records. We looked at records relating to the management of the service, including audits carried out within service.
Updated
9 August 2023
About the service
Helping Hands Cheadle & Wilmslow is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own homes. The service provides support to people with physical disabilities, older people and those living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 35 people using the service.
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
People and relatives we spoke with told us that they felt the service provided was of good quality and management and carers were all very caring.
People received their medicines safely. Staff received appropriate training on the safe administration of medicines. People were well protected by effective infection prevention and control measures.
There were systems and processes in place to safeguard people from potential harm. Staff completed training about safeguarding and knew how to report abuse. Risks to people's safety were assessed and strategies were put in place to reduce the risks.
The provider ensured that lessons were learned when things went wrong, so that improvements could be made to the service and the care people received. Staff received an induction and ongoing training that enabled them to have the skills and knowledge to provide effective care. Enhanced bespoke clinical training was available to staff when needed.
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 service was responsive and flexible, adapting to people's changing needs. Staff understood people's communication needs, so information was shared in an accessible way. The provider responded openly to complaints, using the information to drive improvement. Staff supported people with end-of-life care, to ensure a dignified death.
There were effective systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided to people which ensured good governance. Technology was used effectively by the provider to ensure people were informed promptly about potentially missed or late calls.
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 16 April 2021, and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.