Archived: Notts Home Care Limited

Updated 28 April 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 checked 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 comprehensive inspection took place on 26 March 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure the registered manager would be available.

Before the inspection, we reviewed information we held about the service, which included notifications they had sent us. A notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to send us by law. We also contacted Local Authority commissioners of adult social care services and Healthwatch and asked them for their views of the service provided.

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.

The Inspection site visit took place on 26 March 2018. We visited the office location to meet the registered manager, three members of the care staff and office staff.

The inspection team consisted of an 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. The Expert by Experience carried out telephone interviews with people prior to the office based inspection. They attempted to speak with 28 people or relatives. They successfully spoke with 19 people who used the service and one relative.

The inspection was informed by feedback from the telephone interviews as well as questionnaires completed by a number of people using services and staff. We sent 97 questionnaires out and received 31 responses. These responses highlighted a high quality of care was provided and people were satisfied.

We looked at all or parts of the records relating to five people who used the service as well as three staff recruitment records. We looked at other information related to the running of and the quality of the service. This included quality assurance audits, training information for care staff, staff duty rotas, meeting minutes and arrangements for managing complaints.

Updated 28 April 2018

We carried out an announced inspection of the service on 26 March 2018. Notts Home Care Limited is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes and flats. It currently provides a service to older adults. Not everyone using Individual Homecare 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.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our 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.

At the time of the inspection, Notts Home Care Limited supported 56 people who received some element of support with their personal care. This is the service’s second inspection under its current registration. At the previous inspection, the service was rated as ‘Good’ overall. At this inspection, they maintained that rating.

People were safe. The risks to their safety had been assessed although some assessments would benefit from more personalised information. Staff knew how to ensure people were protected from avoidable harm. People received care from a consistent number of staff. People’s medicines were managed safely. Staff understood how to reduce the risk of the spread of infection. Learning from accidents and incidents took place to reduce the risk to people’s safety.

People’s care was provided in line with current legislation and best practice guidelines. Staff were well trained and supported. Staff supported people effectively with their meals where needed and acted on concerns about their nutritional health. Other agencies were consulted for guidance when people developed more complex health needs. 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 support this practice. The registered manager was reviewing how the Mental Capacity Act (2005) was implemented to ensure people’s rights continued to be protected.

People felt staff were kind and caring, treated people with dignity and respect and listened to what they had to say. People’s independence was encouraged and they were able to contribute to decisions about their care. People’s diverse needs were respected.

Prior to starting with the service, people’s needs were assessed to determine whether the service could meet those needs. When changes were needed to people’s care, they were always involved with this process. People were treated equally, without discrimination and systems were in place to support people who had communication needs. People felt able to make a complaint and were confident it would be dealt with appropriately.

The service was well led by a registered manager who was liked by all. People told us they would recommend this service to others and it was evident people received high quality care and support. People and staff were encouraged to contribute to the development of the service. Effective auditing processes were in place to monitor the quality of the service. The registered manager carried out their role in line with their registration with the CQC.