9 January 2018
During a routine inspection
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older adults and younger disabled adults. At the time of the inspection, there were 40 people receiving the regulated activity of personal care from the provider.
There was a registered manager in post. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
We found some issues relating to the management of medicines. We also found risk management and care plans did not always contain detailed information care workers needed to support people. The registered manager took prompt action to ensure the concerns were addressed by the end of the inspection. Evidence of sustained improvement will be checked at our next inspection.
Overall, safe recruitment practice was followed. However, gaps in employment and full employment histories had not always been obtained for care workers prior to their employment. This was rectified during the inspection.
There were systems and procedures in place to protect people from the risk of harm. Care workers could describe the different types of abuse and what would constitute poor practice. Care workers understood their role and responsibilities for maintaining good standards of cleanliness and hygiene.
People said they felt safe and care workers treated them well. People spoke positively about the support they received. People told us they received a good standard of care and they were always treated with dignity, respect and kindness.
The registered manager and care workers had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and acted according to this legislation. Care workers had completed an induction when they started work and had received training relevant to the needs of people who used the service. Care workers received support, supervision and appraisal to help them understand how to deliver good care.
Where needed, people who used the service received support from care workers to ensure their nutritional and health needs were met. Care workers were trained to respond to emergencies and said they felt confident to do so.
Care workers had good knowledge of the people they supported and understood how to maintain people’s privacy and dignity. It was clear they had developed positive, valued relationships with people and delivered person centred care.
There were procedures in place for responding to people’s concerns and complaints. People told us they knew how to complain. We found the service was responsive to any concerns raised.
People who used the service, relatives and care workers all spoke positively of the provider, the registered manager and management team. The provider and registered manager recognised the importance of monitoring the quality of the service provided to people. They took into account the views of people who used the service through satisfaction surveys and reviews. Unannounced spot checks of care worker’s practice were carried out to make sure people were supported in line with their plans of care.