Archived: Quorndon Care Ltd

Updated 30 August 2017

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.

This inspection took place on 20 July 2017 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

The inspection team consisted of an inspector 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. Our expert by experience had experience of the care of older people.

We reviewed the 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 improvements they plan to make.

We reviewed the provider’s statement of purpose and the notifications we had been sent. A statement of purpose is a document which includes a standard required set of information about a service. Notifications are changes, events or incidents that providers must tell us about.

We spoke with four people using the service and nine relatives. We also spoke with the provider, the registered manager, the administrator, and two support workers.

We looked at records relating to all aspects of the service including care, staffing, and quality assurance. We also looked at three people’s care records.

Updated 30 August 2017

This inspection took place on 20 July 2017 and was announced.

Quorndon Care Ltd is a domiciliary care service providing care and support to people in their own homes. It caters for older people; people living with dementia, mental health needs and physical disabilities, and sensory impairments; and younger adults.

The service has a registered manager. This 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.

People were satisfied with the service provided and said they would recommend Quorndon Care Ltd to others. They said the staff were compassionate and caring and treated them with dignity and respect. Relatives told us the staff built positive relationships with their family members and themselves. Records showed staff proving a caring service and taking action if the person they were supporting needed company or was distressed.

People felt safe using the service and said the staff checked on their safety and made sure they had everything they needed. Staff knew how to protect people from harm and who to tell if they had any concerns about people’s well-being. There were enough staff employed to meet people’s needs safely. Staff supported people with their medicines in the way they wanted.

The staff were well-trained, knowledgeable and skilful and understood the need to gain people’s consent before providing them with care. They supported people with their meals where necessary and understood their dietary requirements. They also took prompt action if they had concerns about their health, alerting GPs and family members when they needed to and staying with people until assistance arrived.

People’s needs were fully assessed when they began using the service. Care plans set out how they wanted their care provided taking into account the views of health and social care professionals and relatives. People and relatives said they were satisfied with their care plans which were regularly reviewed to keep them up-to-date.

People knew who the provider and registered manager were and had confidence in their ability to oversee the safe delivery of care. One relative said they felt able to go away on holiday knowing their family member would be well-cared for by staff at the service.

During our visit to the office we saw the provider and registered manager deal with a number of calls and enquiries from people and relatives. They were always friendly and helpful, offering advice, reassurance and friendly conversation.

People told us the office staff were easy to contact and always friendly and polite. A relative said the office staff were flexible if they wanted changes to their family member’s package of care and extra visits were provided on request.

Staff told us they were well-supported by the provider and registered manager. They said there was a senior member of staff on call at all times day and night if they needed advice or support.

People were given the opportunity to comment on the service through telephone calls, during care reviews, and by completing an annual quality questionnaire. The provider and registered manager listened to their comments and suggestions and made changes and improvements to the service as a result.

The provider and registered manager carried out a series of audits and checks on all aspects of the service. These helped to ensure the service was running effectively and staff had the ongoing support and training they needed.