Background to this inspection
Updated
15 August 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 1 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 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.
Inspection activity started on 7 July 2023 and ended on 20 July 2023. We visited the location’s office/service on 11 July 2023.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. 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
During the inspection we spoke with the registered manager, service manager, wellbeing and operations manager, 3 members of staff, 4 people who used the service and 3 relatives. We received feedback from 2 members of staff and reviewed 3 people's care records. We reviewed training records and documents relating to the management of the service including policies and audits.
Updated
15 August 2023
About the service
Sandton Healthcare Limited is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own homes. The service provides support to older people, some of whom may be living with dementia and people with a learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were 29 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. At the time of our inspection, 11 people were supported with personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
Right Support:
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. However, we found mental capacity assessments lacked evidence people had been involved and supported to understand. We have made a recommendation related to supporting people with decision making. Staff promoted people’s independence by allowing them to do as much as they could for themselves and offered support when needed. They supported people to take their medicines as prescribed and to access other healthcare services.
Right Care:
People’s support plans reflected their range of needs. However, not all risk assessments had been completed and guidance for staff was not always detailed. We have made a recommendation related to this. People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity and understood their individual needs.
The service had enough appropriately trained staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse.
People could communicate with staff and understand information given to them as this was available in different formats and staff understood their individual communication needs.
Right Culture:
People received good quality care because trained staff could meet their needs. Staff knew and understood people well. People and those close to them were involved in planning their care. Staff and managers listened to people’s views to develop and improve the service.
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 3 March 2022, and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Recommendations
We have made recommendations in relation to support with decision making and monitoring of the service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.