The Care Quality Commission
  • Services in your home
  • Homecare service

Archived: Carewatch (Norwich)

Focus House, Jupiter Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 6SU (01603) 419603

Provided and run by:
Focus Caring Services Limited

All Inspections

29 September 2014

During a routine inspection

On the day of our inspection there were 76 people receiving personal care and support from this service in their own homes. The company had recently changed ownership and the franchise had returned to the main Carewatch organisation. The registered manager was no longer at the service and a new manager, who had been the service co-ordinator, had been appointed. The service had taken action to make the management changes official. During our inspection we spoke with 12 people using the service, seven care workers, six relatives and three management representatives. We considered all the evidence we had gathered under the outcomes we inspected. The inspection was undertaken by one inspector over one day and included visiting people receiving support in their own homes, contacting people by telephone and looking at records and systems at the provider's main office.

This is a summary of what we found.

Is the service safe?

People who used the service told us they felt safe with the care workers who provided care and support for them. They told us they were treated with dignity and respect. Comments included, 'They are always very polite and respectful' and 'They are a fantastic team.'

Safeguarding vulnerable adults from abuse procedures were robust and staff understood how to safeguard people they cared for. Systems were in place to make sure that managers and staff learnt from events such as accidents, incidents, complaints and whistleblowing investigations. This reduced the risks to people and helped the service to continually improve.

The service had policies and procedures in place in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

Staff knew about risk management plans and showed us examples where they had followed them. People were not put at unnecessary risk but had access to choice and remained in control of decisions about their care and lives.

The service had sufficient staff to deliver care and support to adequately meet people's needs. This meant the service had taken all reasonable steps to ensure people were protected from risk of harm. Sufficient, suitable staff were recruited appropriately to work with vulnerable people.

Is the service effective?

This service was found to be delivering effective care because we saw that people were supported in a way that suited their personal needs and maintained their quality of life. People and their relatives told us they had been included in all decisions relating to the care they had received. It was clear from our observations, and from speaking with people and care workers, that they had a good understanding of people's care and support needs and they knew them well.

People's health and care needs were assessed and their care plans and assessments were reviewed monthly. This showed people were having care delivered effectively in accordance with their assessed needs.

Is the service caring?

People were treated with respect and dignity by the staff. People told us they were supported by kind, polite and attentive staff. People we spoke with told us, 'All of my carers should be given gold stars, they are fantastic.'

People's preferences, interests, aspirations and diverse needs had been recorded and care and support had been provided in accordance with people's wishes.

Is the service responsive?

People knew how to raise a concern or complain if they were unhappy.

The service worked well with other agencies and services to make sure people received care to ensure their assessed needs were met.

Is the service well-led?

The service had a quality assurance system in place. Records seen by us showed that identified shortfalls were addressed promptly. We were therefore assured that the provider had taken steps to continually improve the service.

Staff told us they were clear about their roles and responsibilities and staff demonstrated a good understanding of the ethos of the service.

12 June 2013

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out this inspection to see whether improvements had been made since our inspection in February 2013. The previous inspection found that improvements had not been made where issues had been identified from a client review survey. At this inspection we found that following the 2012 client review survey an action plan for improvement had been made and progress was ongoing. We also found that the service obtained the views of people who used the service through regular service review visits or quality control visits made by managers. In addition telephone monitoring calls were being carried out. We were satisfied that improvements had been made.

1 February 2013

During a routine inspection

We spoke with nine people by telephone who told us they were pleased with the support offered. One person said they felt they were involved with their care plan and that their changing needs were, 'very much a mutual thing.' Another person said they had the option to take part in their care planning but they chose not to. A third person said, 'I can be involved if I want to but they know more about it than me and I am happy with my lot.' All the people we spoke to told us they could be involved if they wanted to.

People's assessments of need and care plans that we saw were documented and signed correctly. However the files were untidy and some information was difficult to find. This gave us some concerns that important and confidential information may become lost.

Staff we spoke with were confident about what could be seen as abusive and felt they had the training required to ensure people were protected from abuse. Recruitment procedures were thorough to ensure people employed were suitable for the job required.

Although the people we spoke with praised the service the care staff offered, we did note that a large majority of people were unhappy when staff members were changed from their normal carers. Surveys carried out by Carewatch on the quality of the care had not been evaluated to see that action was needed to improve.

16, 18 February 2011

During an inspection in response to concerns

We spoke with three people who used the service. They told us that their needs were met and that they were consulted about the care that they were provided with. People told us that the staff always treated them with respect and that their privacy and dignity were respected and maintained. They were complimentary about the staff that cared for them and told us that staff members were friendly and kind and had a good attitude. They told us that a supervisor had visited them to check that they were happy with the service they received and that their complaints and concerns were listened to and resolved.

Relatives and spouses with whom we spoke told us that their relative was well cared for by staff members who were respectful, polite and friendly. They told us that sometimes staff can be in a hurry but that their relative always received the care and support they needed.

Staff members with whom we spoke told us that they had completed training. They told us that they were given the information they needed and could read in the plan of care of anyone using the service the changes made to their care and support.

The Manager with whom we spoke told us that every effort was made to ensure the needs of those people using the service were met and that staff were fully trained. They told us that for one person they had occasionally struggled to provide a reliable service and meet their full needs.