Archived: Homecare Plus

Updated 9 November 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 3 October 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 24 hours’ notice because the location was a domiciliary care agency and we wanted to ensure there was someone free to assist us with the inspection. 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.

Prior to our inspection we reviewed information we held about the service. This included a Provider Information Return (PIR) completed by the provider. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at previous inspection reports, information received and statutory notifications. A notification is information about important events and the provider is required to send us this by law. We contacted some other professionals who have contact with the service and commissioners who fund the care for some people using the service, and asked them for their views.

During the inspection we spoke with 16 people who used the service and five relatives. We also spoke with seven care workers, three team leaders and the registered manager.

We considered information contained in some of the records held at the service. This included the care records for six people, staff training records, three staff recruitment files and other records kept by the registered manager as part of their management and auditing of the service.

Updated 9 November 2016

This announced inspection was carried out on 3 October 2016. Homecare Plus provides support and personal care to people living in their own home in Nottingham. On the day of the inspection there were 48 people using the service who received personal care.

The service had a registered manager in place at the time of our inspection. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were supported by staff who understood the risks people could face and knew how to make people feel safe. People were encouraged to be independent and risks were mitigated in the least restrictive way possible.

People were usually supported by a regular staff member or group of staff who they knew. People who required support to take their medicines received assistance to do so when this was needed.

People were provided with the care and support they wanted by staff who were trained and supported to do so. People’s human right to make decisions for themselves was respected and they provided consent to their care when needed.

People were supported by staff who understood their health conditions and ensured they had sufficient to eat and drink to maintain their wellbeing.

People were supported by staff who demonstrated kindness and understanding. People were involved in determining their care and support. They were shown respect and treated with dignity in the way they wished to be.

People were able to influence the way their care and support was delivered and they could rely on this being provided as they wished. People were informed on how to express any issues or concerns they had so these could be investigated and acted upon.

Improvements were being made to improve the quality of the service and to address the frustrations some people experienced. There were systems followed which identified areas of good practice and where improvements were needed.