Archived: Raphaels Home Care Limited

There was a manager in post who had registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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.

Potential risks to people’s health and well-being were identified by staff and they knew how to manage these effectively and protect people from harm. Risk assessments were completed to keep people safe.

People told us staff asked for their consent before providing care and support, care plans we looked at had consent to care forms signed by the people or their rightful representatives who received care and support.

People and their relatives told us that their family members were kept safe and well cared for when they were being supported by the service. Staff had received training in how to safeguard people from potential abuse and knew how to identify the risks associated with abuse.

Recruitment processes were robust and ensured staff employed to deliver care and support for people were of a good character and suitable to meet people`s needs safely. There were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet people’s individual needs, and the service provided was flexible.

People told us staff supported them to take their medicines. Staff were trained in safe administration of medicine practices and had their competency regularly observed.

People and their relatives were very complimentary about the abilities and experience of the staff that provided care and support. Staff received training when they were employed and regular updates to ensure they were up to date with their knowledge and best practice guidance.

Staff supported people to stay safe in their homes, and people were supported to maintain their health and well- being. Staff developed appropriate positive and caring relationships with the people they supported and their families, and feedback from people was consistently positive about the service they received.

People and their relatives where appropriate were involved in the initial planning of the care and support people received. People's personal information was stored securely and confidentiality was maintained.

People told us they felt the staff provided care and support that was delivered in a way that promoted their dignity and respected their privacy. Staff were knowledgeable about people`s preferred routines and delivered care that was individualised to the person they were supporting.

People told us they felt that staff listened to them and responded to them in a positive way. People and their relatives knew how to raise concerns and they were confident that the manager would take appropriate action to address any concerns in a timely way.

People were asked to provide feedback about the service they received regularly and we saw these were positive. The registered manager contacted an independent company to carry out a survey which included people who used the service, their relatives, staff and health and social care professional to gather feedback about the service they offered.

People and their relatives were positive about the staff and the management of the service. The registered manager regularly audited the service any improvements needed were actioned.

People who used the service were complimentary about the standard of care they received and also about the staff who they described as "excellent". We were told by the provider that staff often worked beyond the call of duty and gave us an example where in the bad weather when there was snow, staff walked to the people who used the service, to ensure the service continued uninterrupted. We noted from staff work allocation's that people who used the service had "regular" care worker's which enabled staff to get to know people they cared for very well.

People received good care by staff who were supported to deliver a quality service.