Background to this inspection
Updated
31 October 2019
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 Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
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 the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We visited two people living in their home with their permission and spoke with another person and two relatives by telephone. We heard about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, the care coordinator, a provider representative and care workers. We spoke with one professional who regularly work with the service.
We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care and medication records. We also reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including audits and staff supervision records.
After the inspection
We received information from the registered manager about the on-call support available to people and staff at night.
Updated
31 October 2019
About the service
NursePlusUK – 3a Mey House is a domiciliary care agency. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene, medicines management and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection, the service provided personal care and support to nine people who lived in their own homes. The service covers the main towns of Dorchester and Weymouth and the surrounding villages.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People who used the service, and their relatives, described a reliable, caring service. They confirmed staff arrived when expected. They said the service was flexible, personal and safe Comments included: “They are professionally competent and personally all very nice people.”
People were safe and protected from avoidable harm because staff knew how to identify and report any concerns relating to the risk of abuse. Risks to people’s health, safety and well-being were assessed, and measures put in place to reduce the risks. People’s medicines were managed safely. People were supported by staff who had been safely recruited.
Staff had received appropriate training and had their competency assessed regularly to help ensure they were sufficiently skilled and knowledgeable. Training reflected the needs of individual people.
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 were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were supported to remain as independent as possible. Staff knew people well and ensured their preferences were respected. People were involved with planning and reviewing their care.
A complaints procedure was in place, which people confirmed they were aware of. People’s concerns and complaints were listened to, addressed and resolved quickly.
People said the service was well managed. There were effective systems in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service. Regular feedback about the quality of the service people received had been sought.
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published February 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk