Unity Care Specialists

Updated 31 May 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 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 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 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure 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 their registration with CQC and sought feedback from the local authority. 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 of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We visited the provider’s office where we spoke with the registered manager, care manager, 2 field care supervisors, the recruitment lead and 2 care workers. We also reviewed a range of records. Following the inspection, we spoke with 7 people using the service and another 7 people’s relatives about their experience of the care provided. We also received feedback from 5 care staff.

Updated 31 May 2023

About the service

Unity Care Specialists is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in their own homes. 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. At the time of our inspection there were 18 people receiving personal care.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found.

People and their relatives told us they received safe care. Staff understood people’s risks relating to their care and managed risks well. Medicines were managed safely, and staff understood how to protect people from abuse. People received a reliable and consistent service. The provider was working on ensuring full employment histories were always obtained as part of their pre-employment checks. The service managed incidents affecting people’s safety well.

Work was underway to ensure care plans were consistently holistic and person-centred. Staff had received relevant training and underwent an induction which helped to ensure they understood their role and responsibilities. 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.

Care was person-centred and promoted people’s dignity, privacy, and human rights. People received support which was based around their needs, choices, and preferences and had access to information in formats they could understand. Staff worked alongside healthcare professionals to provide end of life care which was holistic, and person centred and helped to ensure people had a dignified death that was as comfortable as possible.

Governance processes were mostly effective and helped to ensure people received safe care and support. The inspection identified some areas where records relating to people’s care and those relating to recruitment needed to be more robust. Whilst the provider was taking action to address this, more time was needed for us to be fully assured that these improvements had been embedded. The registered manager had a clear vision for the direction of the service and had fostered a culture where staff felt valued and where people’s individuality was promoted. The provider sought feedback from people, and those important to them, and used this to develop the service. The leadership team worked effectively with health and social care professionals to meet people’s needs.

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 4 March 2022, and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection as the service had not previously been inspected.

Follow up

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