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

Archived: LHS Care and Support Ltd

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

1 Midhurst, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, SG6 4SF (01462) 615187

Provided and run by:
LHS Care and Support Ltd

All Inspections

4 April 2018

During a routine inspection

LHS Care and Support Ltd is a small domiciliary care agency that provides personal care to people living in their own homes, or specialist housing. Not everyone using LHS Care and Support Ltd receives the regulated activity of personal care. CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with personal care. At the time of this inspection the service supported seven people, however four of these received personal care.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

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The service has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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 told us they felt safe. Staff were knowledgeable about how to identify potential risks and understood their responsibilities in respect of safeguarding people. Risks to people’s health, safety and wellbeing had been assessed and measures were in place to mitigate and reduce these where possible. All care plans and risk assessments had been regularly reviewed to ensure that they captured any changes to people’s needs and were current.

Safe and robust recruitment processes were in place and had been followed to help ensure that staff were suitable for the role they were employed for. There were sufficient numbers of staff assigned to meet people's needs in a timely way. Where people’s medicines were managed by staff this was carried out in a safe manner.

Staff were well supported in their roles. Staff completed a comprehensive induction as well as on-going refresher training in a range of topics to support their work. Staff received individual supervision and development of their practice.

People’s consent was obtained prior to support being offered. Staff were aware of the need for decisions made on behalf of people to be in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Where people were unable to make their own decisions and had an appointee or Power of Attorney, the registered manager ensured consent was obtained in consultation with the person.

People were supported to access health and social care professionals to help maintain their health and wellbeing.

People were involved in planning how they wanted to be supported and how their care and support was provided. People had a detailed care plan which took account of their individual needs, preferences and choices.

People had developed positive relationships with the staff who supported them. People's dignity and privacy was respected. Staff knew people's needs and preferences and supported them to retain as much independence as possible. People were supported to access and participate in activities in their communities.

There was a robust complaints policy and procedure in place, however all the people spoken with told us they did not feel the need to raise a complaint.

People and staff found the registered manager to be approachable and supportive and people were positive about how the service was managed. Quality monitoring systems and processes although informal were in place to help monitor the quality and safety of the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

07 & 14 October 2015

During a routine inspection

The inspection took place on 07 and 14 October 2015 and was announced. This was the first time we inspected the service which provides care and support to a small number of older people in their own homes.

There was a manager in post who had registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The CQC is required to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. DoLS are put in place to protect people where they do not have capacity to make decisions and where it is considered necessary to restrict their freedom in some way, usually to protect themselves or others. At the time of the inspection we found that people’s freedoms had not been restricted by the service and therefore, DoLS authorities were not required.

People told us that they felt safe and well cared for by the service. Staff had received training in how to safeguard people from abuse and knew how to report concerns, both internally and externally. Safe and effective recruitment practices were followed to ensure that staff were suitable for the role performed. Sufficient numbers of staff were available to meet people’s agreed care and support needs in a timely and patient way.

Appropriately trained staff prompted and, where necessary, supported people to take their medicines safely and at the right time. Potential risks to people’s health and well-being had been identified and were reviewed and managed effectively.

People who used the service, their representatives, friends and healthcare professionals were very positive about the skills, experience and abilities of staff who provided care and support. Staff received training relevant to their roles and had regular supervision meetings to discuss and review their development and performance.

People were supported to maintain good health and to access and make appointments with health and social care professionals when necessary. They were supported to eat a healthy balanced diet that met their individual needs and preferences.

The manager and staff made considerable efforts to ascertain people’s wishes and obtain their consent before providing personal care and support, which they did in a kind and compassionate way.

Staff had developed positive and caring relationships with the people they supported and clearly knew them and their individual care needs very well. People who used the service, together with their family and representatives where appropriate, were involved in the planning, delivery and reviews of the care and support provided. The confidentiality of information held about their medical and personal histories was securely maintained.

Support was provided in a way that promoted people’s dignity and respected their privacy. People received personalised care that met their needs and took account of their preferences. Staff were knowledgeable about people’s background histories, preferences, routines and personal circumstances and used this information to good effect in delivering person centred care.

People were supported to pursue interests and take part in activities of their choosing within their own home. They felt that staff listened to them and responded to any concerns they had in a positive way. People knew how to complain should the need arise but told us they had never had cause to do so.

People who used the service, their representatives, staff and professional stakeholders were very complimentary about the manager and how the service was operated. Arrangements were in place to monitor risks and the quality of services provided.