Archived: Care Visions at Home

Updated 13 April 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 23 and 26 January, 1, 6 and 9 February 2017. The inspection was announced so we could be certain staff were available in the office to assist us. We contacted people using the service and their relatives by phone on 26 January. We spoke with staff by telephone on 6 and 9 February. The provider’s office was visited on 23 January and 1 February 2017. The inspection team consisted of an adult social care 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.

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service, including notifications. Notifications are changes, events or incidents the provider is legally obliged to send us within required timescales. Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection, we used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people who used the service, including speaking with people using the service and their relatives, interviewing staff and reviewing records. We spoke with two people who used the service and seven relatives. We spoke with the registered manager, an operations director, three care workers and a supervisor based in the service’s offices.

We looked at a sample of records including six people’s care plans and other associated documentation, medicine records, six staff files, which included training, supervision and recruitment records, complaint, accident and incident records, policies and procedures, risk assessments and audit documents.

Updated 13 April 2017

We carried out an inspection of Care Visions at Home on 23 and 26 January, 1, 6 and 9 February 2017. The first day of the inspection was announced. We last inspected Care Visions at Home in December 2014 and found the service was meeting the relevant regulations in force at that time, with the exception of one relating to staff support.

Care Visions at Home provides personal care for people in their own homes. There were 72 people using the service.

The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the service is run.

People said they felt safe with care staff and were well cared for. Staff were aware of safeguarding vulnerable adult procedures and expressed confidence that concerns would be appropriately dealt with. Incidents were investigated and dealt with to ensure people remained safe.

Risks associated with people’s care needs and working practices were assessed and steps taken to reduce the likelihood of harm occurring. Staff had access to personal protective equipment, such as gloves and aprons. They were aware of and trained in good hygiene practices.

People told us staff were caring courteous, professional and polite. Staffing levels were sufficient to safely meet people’s needs, with ongoing recruitment to improve the ability of the agency to ensure staffing consistency. The provider had a robust system to ensure new staff were subject to thorough recruitment checks.

Systems for the safe management of medicines had been developed to ensure medicines were handled safely and accounted for.

Where appropriate, people’s mental capacity was considered through relevant areas of care, such as with medicines and distressed behaviour. Staff routinely obtained people’s consent before providing care.

Staff had completed safety and care related training relevant to their role and the needs of people using the service. Further training was planned to ensure their skills and knowledge were up to date. Staff were well supported by the registered manager and other senior staff. The provider had met the assurances they had given in their action plan following a previous breach of legal requirements relating to supporting their staff.

People were supported with eating and drinking where this was an assessed need. People’s health needs were considered in the planning and delivery of care. Help from external professionals, such as the GP, was sought if necessary. This ensured people’s general medical needs were met.

Staff understood the importance of promoting people’s privacy, dignity and confidentiality. Staff were able to clearly explain how they met people’s needs and we saw care plans and associated documentation were clear and person centred.

People using the service and staff spoke well of the registered manager and they felt the service had good leadership. We found there were effective systems to enable people to raise complaints, and to assess and monitor the quality of the service. Staff performance was subject to periodic spot checks. Quality monitoring included feedback from people receiving care.