Archived: Elite Homecare

Updated 26 October 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.

The inspection was conducted on 18 and 20 September 2018 and was announced. In line with our methodology we gave short notice of the inspection visit. The provider was given 24 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in the office. The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Before this inspection, we reviewed notifications that we had received from and about the service. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. We reviewed the Provider Information Record (PIR) before the inspection. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, and tells us what the service does well and the improvements they plan to make. We used this information to help plan the inspection. We also checked with the local authority commissioning and safeguarding teams. They informed us that they did not have any concerns about Elite Homecare and were satisfied with the level of care provided.

During this inspection we visited and spoke with five people who used the service, and three relatives. We spoke with the registered manager, the care manager and four care workers. We observed how staff cared for and supported people. We reviewed five people’s care records, four staff records, the staff training plan and weekly staff rotas and other records about the management of the service such as complaint records, surveys, and staff meeting minutes.

Updated 26 October 2018

This announced inspection took place on 18 and 20 September 2018.

We last inspected this service in July 2017 when we found the registered provider was in breach of Regulations 9, 17 and 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 because care provision was not always reviewed, there weren't adequate systems in place to check on the quality and safety of the service, and not all staff received regular supervision and support. We also found the service was in breach of Regulation 18 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009, because the provider had failed to notify CQC of notifiable events. After our last inspection the provider sent us an action plan telling us how they would improve the service. These improvements had been effective, and we found the provider was now compliant with the regulations and consistently meeting people's needs.

Elite Homecare is a domiciliary care agency providing care and support to people living in their own homes. When last inspected, the service offered support to people living in Stockport and Oldham. Following that inspection the provider re-registered the Stockport location as a separate service, so this inspection looked at the services provided by the Oldham Branch of Elite Homecare.

At the time of our inspection 44 people were using the service. The service had 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. The registered manager was also the owner and employed a care manager with responsibility for day to day administration of the service.

People who used the service, their relatives and professionals we contacted told us they felt the service was safe. They told us staff took appropriate precautions when delivering care in their homes, and the care staff we spoke with understood their roles and responsibility to safeguard vulnerable people. We saw that where there were risks around peoples care these were assessed, with guidance on how to minimise the risks, but we found sometimes risks associated with people’s behaviour were overlooked.

There were good systems in place to ensure the safe recruitment of staff and there were sufficient staff to attend to people’s needs. Staff were deployed to work with the same people and this meant that they got to know them well. People who used the service confirmed this. They told us that they were treated in an appropriate manner by courteous and kind staff who respected their dignity, and dealt with their personal care issues with sensitivity. Staff received regular supervision to discuss their work, and ongoing training was provided to ensure that they maintained the skills and knowledge required to provide effective support.

Medication policies were appropriate and comprehensive and medicines were administered safely. Staff were knowledgeable about the medicines administration processes. The service had recently revised the way they recorded the administration of medicines to minimise risk and allow for greater accountability. Staff were mindful of the risk of cross infection and ensured they followed good infection prevention and control guidelines.

People’s care records contained information about their preferences and wishes. Care plans included appropriate personal and health information and were up to date. The care staff we spoke with demonstrated an ability to understand the needs of people who used the service and provide person centred care to gauge and respond to changing need.

Staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and were knowledgeable about this area. People told us that they were offered choices in how their support was delivered, and we saw that staff promoted and supported people’s independence.

There was an appropriate complaints procedure in place and we saw that complaints were followed up in a timely manner.

People who used the service and their relatives spoke favourably about how the service was managed. Staff told us that the service promoted a healthy working environment which helped them to enjoy their job. They told us they felt supported and listened to.

The registered manager and care manager conducted regular audits and checks to ensure the service provided a good quality of care, and to seek ways of improving the service. People who used the service were consulted and completed quality questionnaires to ensure they remained satisfied with the support provided by Elite Homecare.