Archived: CRG Homecare - Stoke

Updated 31 May 2019

The inspection:

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

Inspection team:

This inspection was carried out by an adult social care inspector and an assistant inspector.

Service and service type:

CRG Homecare (Stoke) is a domiciliary care agency. It provided personal care to people living in their own homes. Not everybody using CRG Homecare received 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 so we also take into account any wider social care provided.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection:

This inspection was carried out on 27 March and 8 April; the first day was unannounced. On the second day we visited people by arrangement who used the service to gain their perspective.

What we did:

As part of planning the inspection we looked at information the provider had sent us in their 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 any improvements they plan to make. We looked at information we held about the service as part of our ingoing monitoring; including any statutory notifications sent to us by the provider about incidents and events that had occurred at the service. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. We also spoke with the local authority to gain their perspective of the service.

During the inspection we spoke with six people who used the service, three relatives of people and eight members of staff including the registered manager and the organisations director of quality.

We also looked at records at the service which included records relating to staff recruitment and support, audits and quality assurance reports and the care plans for six people.

Updated 31 May 2019

About the service: CRG Homecare (Stoke) is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

People’s experience of using this service:

People and their relatives told us they felt safe using the service. They praised the care they received and the approach of staff members. People described staff as, “patient”, “respectful” and told us they had positive relationships with staff who understood their needs. One person’s family member told us, “They have met my mum’s needs with kindness and care.”

There were practises and systems in place that helped ensure people were safe and the service was reliable. Staff received training in safeguarding vulnerable adults, thorough pre-employment checks took place on new staff members and the administration and recording of people’s medication was safe.

We saw that people’s needs, choices and preferences were recorded as part of an initial assessment. This information was used to put together an individualised care plan with each person that outlined their care and support needs. Care plans were regularly reviewed with the person after four weeks of care and every three months following.

There were appropriate risk assessments in place for any risks that may occur when supporting people; staff were vigilant in identifying risks and acting on these. The service worked closely with people’s social workers, district nurses and GP’s to ensure that their healthcare was effective.

People told us they felt listened to and were involved in making decisions about their care. One person told us, “I feel listened to; they act on what I say.” People’s dignity and independence in their own homes was respected. One person told us about the care staff, “They are very respectful of my home.” Another person said, “I feel safe with them. They have helped me to remain independent.”

There was ongoing training and support of care staff. They were positive about the training and support they received. One staff member told us, “After the training I felt ready to help people.” Another staff member said, “Its fabulous. I get all the support I need.”

People and their relatives told us that the service was well-led. When we visited people with the registered manager it was clear that people had positive relationships with the registered manager. One person’s family member described the registered manager as having a, “Passion about caring for others.”

When planning, delivering and reviewing people’s care people’s opinions were sought. One person told us, “They make sure my care plan is up to date; they always ask me my opinions.” People told us that care staff and senior staff involved them and listened to them. One person’s family member told us that staff, “Listened to our views and helping us to organise [name’s] care. Ensuring that she had the carers that she loved.”

The service was responsive to people feedback including complaints. On a recent satisfaction survey 100% of people using the service said they felt comfortable raising a complaint. One person wrote, “I feel happy and comfortable to be able to say anything I need to.” Another person told us, “I feel confident raising a concern. Staff are respectful.”

The registered manager had clear oversight of the quality of the service provided for people. It was clear that registered manager was striving for continuous improvement and increased partnership working to improve the quality of the service provided.

Rating at last inspection: At the last inspection the service was rated Good (September 2016).

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up: Ongoing monitoring.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk