Background to this inspection
Updated
6 November 2018
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is 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 between 15 and 18 October 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and we needed to be sure someone would be available at the office to support the inspection. The inspection included time spent at the office and time visiting people who received support in their own homes.
The inspection team was made up of one adult social care inspector.
Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included the notifications we had received from the provider. Notifications are changes, events or incidents the provider is legally required to let us know about. We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
We contacted the local authority commissioning teams and the safeguarding adult’s team.
During the inspection we spoke with six people using the service, five of whom we visited at home, we also met three relatives. We spoke with the registered manager who is also the nominated individual, two senior support workers and four support workers.
We reviewed care records for four people and looked at records in people’s homes, including medicine records. We looked at staff recruitment and training and records relating to the management of the service.
Updated
6 November 2018
This inspection took place between 15 and 18 October 2018 and was announced because we needed to be sure someone was available to support the inspection. We spent time in the office and also visited people receiving care and support.
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides a service to people over the age of 18 who may have sensory needs, be living with dementia, a learning disability or autism or who may have an acquired or traumatic brain injury. At the time of the inspection they were not supporting anyone with a learning disability.
Not everyone using Momentum Care Services receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection 16 people were receiving a regulated activity.
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.
At this inspection we found the service remained good.
Why the service is rated good.
A registered manager was in post at the time of the inspection. 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’s physical health, mental health and social needs were assessed and care plans developed. People said they were able to express their views and had been involved in making decisions about their care and support.
The delivery of care was personalised and some care plans were detailed however others lacked some information. We have made a recommendation about care planning.
Risks were assessed and monitored and staff were trained in safeguarding procedures and knew how to report any concerns. People told us they felt safe with staff and were confident anything they raised would be appropriately and immediately addressed.
Safe recruitment practices were followed and staff completed a detailed induction which included meeting people and shadowing experienced staff before they directly supported people.
Staffing levels were appropriate to meet people’s needs. People said they were supported by the same staff who were kind, caring, respectful and had the skills and knowledge to support them safely. Training was provided in a variety of ways including some training that one person had devised themselves for their staff.
People described staff as being, ‘like friends’ and ‘family members.’ They said they were always professional but could have a laugh and a joke. People enjoyed ‘banter’ with their support staff but said staff knew what the boundaries were.
The providers policy was that they only provided prompts for people to take their medicines. Staff were appropriately trained and records were kept of the prompts made.
Healthcare services were involved as needed and there was regular liaison in relation to ensuring people received appropriate healthcare.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People said they had no current complaints but knew who to contact if they did. We were told any previous concerns had been addressed immediately and people were happy with the outcome and the action taken.
Governance structures were in place and feedback was sought from people about the service they received.
People said the service was well led and they would recommend Momentum Care Services to anyone in need of support at home.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.