Archived: Freedom Care Services

Updated 19 August 2015

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.

The inspection took place between the 28 May 2015 and the 04 June 2015 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service, we needed to be sure that someone would be in the office. The inspection team consisted of one inspector and one Expert by Experience. The inspection team was made up of two Inspectors 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

We reviewed information we held about the service and this included a review of the previous report for this service and a review of the notifications they had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

We also spoke with ten people who used the service, seven care staff, the registered manager and the provider.

We looked at the care records for seven people who used the service and reviewed the provider’s recruitment processes. We also looked at the training information for all the staff employed by the service, and information on how the service was managed.

Updated 19 August 2015

This announced inspection was carried out between the 28 May and the 05 June 2015.

Freedom Care provides care in people’s own homes. At the time of the inspection there were 88 people using the service, most of whom had physical needs.

The service has a registered manager in post. 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.

During the last inspection carried out on the 25 June 2014 we identified three breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010. These were in relation to assessing and monitoring the quality of the service identifying and managing risk and how complaints were responded to. We found the improvements we required had now been made.

People were protected from avoidable risks and staff were aware of their duty of care to the people. Staff were trained to recognise and respond to signs of abuse. Risk assessments were carried out and reviewed regularly.

There were sufficient staff on duty to visit people in their own homes to ensure their care was delivered in a timely manner. Staff were well matched to the people they cared for.

People were assisted to take their medication safely when required.

The staff had appropriate training, supervision and support, and they understood their roles in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

Staff assisted people to be in control of what they ate and prepared the meals they wanted.

Staff assisted people to contact their health care professionals. Staff ensured that where appropriate families were kept up to date on the health and welfare of their relative.

Staff were caring, kind and compassionate and cared for people in a manner that promoted their privacy and dignity. People felt listened to and had their views and choices respected.

People or their representative were involved in the decisions about their care and their care plans provided information on how to assist and support them in meeting their needs. The care plans were reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current needs and wishes.

The service had systems in place to assess, review and evaluate the quality of service provision.

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