Background to this inspection
Updated
8 April 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 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 23 February 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service. We needed to be sure that the registered manager would be available to speak with us.
The inspection was carried out by 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. The expert had experience of caring for someone who used this type of service.
Before our inspection, we reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about a service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed the information we held about the service and information we had received about the service from people who had contacted us. We contacted the local authority that had funding responsibility for some of the people who used the service.
We reviewed a range of records about people’s care and how the service was managed. This included eight people’s plans of care and associated documents including risk assessments. We looked at four staff files including their recruitment and training records. We also looked at documentation about the service that was given to staff and people who used the service and policies and procedures that the provider had in place. We spoke with the registered manager, a field care supervisor and three care workers.
We contacted 16 people who used the service by telephone. We spoke with ten people who used the service and six relatives of other people who used the service. This was to gather their views of the service being provided.
Updated
8 April 2016
The inspection took place on 23 February 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice of the inspection, this was because the location provides a domiciliary care service. We needed to be sure that the registered manager would be available to speak with us.
The service provided personal care to adults with a variety of needs living in their own homes. This included people living with dementia, physical disabilities, older people, people with learning disabilities, children, people who misuse drugs and people with an eating disorder. At the time of the inspection there were 106 people using the service.
The service had a registered manager. 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.
People told us that they felt safe when staff supported them.
Risk assessments were in place which set out how to support people in a safe manner. The service had safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures in place. Staff were aware of their responsibilities in these areas.
People told us that staff arrived on time for appointments to support them. We saw that there was a system in place that monitored the time staff arrived and left each appointment.
People were supported to take their medicines by care workers who had received training in medicines management.
When people started to use the service a care plan was developed that included information about their support needs, likes, dislikes and preferences. This meant that staff had the relevant information to meet people’s needs.
People were prompted to maintain a balanced diet where they were supported with eating and drinking. People were supported to access healthcare services and staff monitored people for changes in their health and well-being.
Care workers were supported through training and supervision to be able to meet the care needs of people they supported. They undertook an induction programme when they started work at the service.
Staff told us that they sought people’s consent prior to providing their care.
Staff developed caring relationships with people and understood people’s needs and preferences.
People were involved in decisions about their support. They told us that staff treated them with respect.
People were involved in the assessment and review of their needs.
The service was well organised and led by a registered manager who understood their responsibilities under the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009.
The provider carried out monitoring in relation to the quality of the service that people received.