Background to this inspection
Updated
6 July 2023
Inspection team
We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.
Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.
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 and specialist housing.
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 provider a short period of notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service.
What we did before the inspection
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 the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed information we had received prior to completing our inspection. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We conducted telephone calls to enable us to engage with people using the service, and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation.
Inspection activity started on 27 April 2023 and ended on 23 June 2023. We reviewed a range of records related to 3 people’s care and support. This included people’s care plans and risk assessments. We also reviewed records relating to training, staff supervision and the management of the service, which included quality assurance records and a range of policies and procedures.
We spoke with the registered manager for the service. We were not able to get through to people using the service, but we received feedback from 4 of their relatives. We spoke with 6 care workers and received feedback from 1 external professional.
Updated
6 July 2023
About the service
Double Ark- Sydenham Road is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. The service provides personal care to older people. At the time of our inspection there were 7 people using the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The provider effectively managed risks to people’s health and safety. Care records identified risks to people’s care and included guidance to staff in how to safely manage these. The provider was safe in the management of people’s medicines and care workers had received training and understood their responsibilities in relation to safe medicines management. Administration records were checked by the registered manager.
The provider conducted audits, spot checks and bi- monthly “wellbeing calls” to ensure people had the support they needed.
People’s needs and choices were assessed as part of the assessment process, and the provider supported people with their healthcare needs.
Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to provide people with care. Staff confirmed they received the induction and ongoing training and supervision to conduct their roles.
The provider promoted a positive culture within the service. The provider sought and acted on people’s feedback and people’s relatives confirmed they felt comfortable in addressing any concerns with them directly.
The provider was aware of their responsibilities to ensure people were safe from the risk of abuse and took appropriate steps to prevent and control infection. There was also an appropriate system in place to manage accidents and incidents.
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.
People’s relatives told us they were well treated and supported and their care records included details of their backgrounds, ethnicity and religions. People’s relatives told us their privacy and dignity was respected and promoted and they were encouraged to maintain their independence as far as possible.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk .
Rating at last inspection:
We registered this service on 19 January 2022 and this was 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.
This was an ‘inspection using remote technology’. This means we did not visit the office location and instead used technology such as electronic file sharing to gather information, and video and phone calls to engage with people using the service as part of this performance review and assessment.