Libra Care Services

Updated 9 February 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 1 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 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.

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.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since they registered with us. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 4 people who use the service and 5 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We received feedback from 5 members of staff including the registered manager, senior community carer and community carers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 3 people's care records and multiple medication records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment, induction and training. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 9 February 2023

About the service

Libra Care Services is a domiciliary care service. The service provides support to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 9 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 told us they felt safe. They were protected from avoidable harm as staff were trained to recognise signs of abuse and knew who to report this to if they had concerns.

Staff had a good awareness of the specific risks people faced and how to manage these without being restrictive. People’s risk assessments gave staff clear guidance on how to manage their health conditions.

The service had a recruitment and selection process that helped ensure only prospective staff with the required skills and good character were employed to support people.

People’s capacity to consent to decisions about their care and support had been assessed. Where required, the service undertook mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People’s care plans were person-centred and included detailed personal histories, their abilities, goals and preferred methods of communication. Plans were regularly reviewed to ensure they reflected people’s current and emerging needs.

People and their relatives said they enjoyed visits from the staff. They felt staff had a good understanding of their needs and supported and encouraged them to remain as independent as possible. People and relatives felt all staff were very kind, caring and treated them with dignity.

People were confident staff were well trained and knew how to support them. People were encouraged to make decisions and express their views about the care and support they received by staff who were attentive and familiar to them.

The service had robust quality assurance procedures which included various audits and regular staff competency checks. This helped ensure the quality of care was maintained and any issues were identified and resolved promptly.

People’s, relative’s and staff member’s views were sought in satisfaction surveys and used to influence the direction of the service. Feedback was unanimously positive. Compliments were shared with staff which helped motivate them. Staff told us they got on well with their colleagues and that they felt proud to work for Libra Care Services.

The registered manager was praised by all stakeholders. Staff told us, the registered manager was very supportive, approachable and a good listener. Staff well-being was prioritised. People and relatives considered the service well-led and organised.

The service had established and maintained positive working relationships with other agencies including district nurses and GP surgeries.

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 24 October 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

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

Follow up

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