Background to this inspection
Updated
17 December 2016
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 inspection was undertaken on 8 November 2016. We gave the registered manager two days’ notice that we would be visiting their head office as we needed to ensure the registered manager would be present.
After our visit to the office we spoke with two relatives and three healthcare professionals over the phone so we could gain their views about the service. Because of communication difficulties we were not able to speak with the person who was using the service at the time of our inspection.
The inspection and interviews were carried out by one inspector.
We reviewed information we have about the service, including notifications of any safeguarding or other incidents affecting the safety and wellbeing of people.
We spoke with a care staff who was currently employed at the service and who was supporting someone with their personal care needs. We also spoke in detail to the registered manager.
We looked at records in relation to the care needs of two people who had or were receiving care from the service. We also looked at staff records including recruitment and training files.
Updated
17 December 2016
This inspection was undertaken on 8 November 2016. We gave the registered manager two days’ notice that we would be visiting their head office as we needed to ensure the registered manager would be present.
Humanedge Healthcare Ltd provides support and personal care to people living at home and recently has focused on providing palliative care to people in their own homes. At the time of this inspection, the service was providing support and personal care to one person which was part of a wider care package provided by a number of different agencies and coordinated by the palliative care team from the local Community Commissioning Group (CCG).
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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
Relatives were positive about the staff and trusted them.
Staff could explain how they would recognise and report abuse and they understood their responsibilities in keeping people safe.
The service was following appropriate recruitment procedures to make sure that only suitable staff were employed at the agency.
Staff we spoke with had a good knowledge of the medicines that people they visited were taking and any possible side effects or contraindications.
Relatives and healthcare professionals were positive about the staff and told us they had confidence in their abilities. Although staff told us they felt supported by the registered manager, systems to monitor staff training and supervisions were not always effective in identifying when training was required.
Staff understood that it was not right to make choices for people when they could make choices for themselves, however training in understanding the Mental Capacity Act (2005) was not being provided in order to improve staff understanding of this important issue.
Staff were aware of people’s specific health needs including their dietary requirements and preferences.
Relatives told us they were kept up to date about any changes by staff of the service.
Health care professionals told us that the registered manager and staff were quick to respond to any changes in people’s needs.
Care plans reflected how people were supported to receive care and treatment in accordance with their current needs and preferences.
People told us they had no complaints about the service but said they felt able to raise any concerns without worry.
The vision and values of the service were known to staff and were being adhered to when supporting people using the service and in working with healthcare professionals.
We found a breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This breach was in relation to good governance. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.