Archived: Outcome Care and Support Limited

Outcome Care and Support is a domiciliary agency providing personal care to people who live in their own homes in and around the area of Ludlow. At the time of the inspection the service supported 25 people, both older and younger.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People received safe care. They were supported by a consistent team of staff who were familiar with their needs. Information was in place to guide staff about the support people required in relation to any identified risks and staff were confident in reporting any concerns.

We have made a recommendation about the recording of ‘as and when needed’ medicines.

Staff understood people’s communication needs and received training and support to safely fulfil their duties. People’s health and well-being was supported through good communication with health and social care professionals. A professional told us, "From my observations staff went above and beyond what was expected, which was exceptionally refreshing to see."

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff understood the importance of upholding people’s privacy and dignity. People were complimentary about the staff. For example, one person told us, “The staff are very caring. I would recommend the company to anyone.”

People received person-centred support. Care plans provided important information about the person’s needs and preferences. People were the decision makers in their care and the care was flexible, to meet their wishes.

The management team were approachable and maintained contact with people to ensure they addressed any issues or concerns. Audits and checks of the service had been effective in addressing issues of quality and areas for improvement. The staff team felt well supported and valued in their role. People provided feedback about the quality of the service to support further development and improvement.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (report published 21 December 2016).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Outcome Care and Support is registered to provide personal care to people within their own homes in the South Shropshire area.

There was a registered manager in place. 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.

This service was first registered with CQC in November 2015 and has not been previously inspected.

People and their relatives considered they or their loved ones were safe with the staff that attended their homes.

People were safe as staff knew how to recognise different signs of abuse and what action to take if they had any concerns.

The provider ensured staff were safe to work with people who used the service. They obtained Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and suitable references for new staff.

The provider had suitable arrangements in place to ensure people’s medicines were managed safely.

There were systems in place to ensure that risks to people’s safety and wellbeing were identified and addressed.

People told us that scheduled visits were rarely late and that they had never experienced a missed call.

The provider ensured staff had a full understanding of people’s care needs and had the skills and knowledge to meet them.

People had access to healthcare professionals to make sure they received effective treatment to meet their specific needs.

People who used the service were treated with kindness and said their privacy and dignity was always respected.

People’s care and support was planned in full consultation with them.

Staff were knowledgeable about the people they supported, which enabled them to provide a personalised and responsive service.

The provider had systems in place to routinely listen to people’s experiences, concerns and complaints.

People told us the service was responsive and well managed.

Staff told us the service was well-led and that they felt valued by the provider, which had an open and transparent culture.

The provider undertook a range of checks to monitor the quality of service delivery.