Archived: DCS Fylde Limited

We last inspected this service in May 2014. The service was judged to be compliant in all the areas we looked at.

DCS Fylde is a privately owned domiciliary agency. They are situated in Lytham St Anne's. The agency provides care staff to support people in their own homes. They provide assistance with tasks such as personal care, food preparation, medication administration and household chores. The service supports people around Lytham, Fylde, Freckleton and surrounding areas. Services are provided to older adults, adults with physical disabilities, adults with memory loss or dementia, adults with complex needs, adults with specific conditions such as strokes, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease.

At the time of our inspection visit DCS Fylde provided services to 55 people.

The registered manager was given 24 hours’ notice prior to the inspection, so that we could be sure they would be available to provide us with the information we required.

The registered manager of the service was present throughout 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

We looked at recruitment processes and found the service had recruitment policies and procedures in place to help ensure safety in the recruitment of staff. People told us the service was reliable.

Staff we spoke with told us they were given enough time with people, were given time for travelling and that visits to people did not overlap. People we spoke with told us that staff stayed for the allocated time.

We looked at assessments undertaken for four people before the agency agreed to provide their domiciliary care package and found that safety checks and risk assessments were undertaken. We found that care plans identified risk management in a person centred way.

We looked at how people were protected from bullying, harassment, avoidable harm and abuse. We found that the service followed safeguarding reporting systems, as outlined in its policies and procedures.

We found that the service promoted staff development and had an accredited in house training centre to ensure that staff received training appropriate to their roles and responsibilities. Staff told us they felt well supported by management and we saw evidence that regular supervisions were being held.

We looked at how the service gained people’s consent to care and treatment in line with the Mental Capacity Act [MCA]. We looked at people's care records and found mental capacity assessments, with supporting best interests decisions where required.

Care records held details of joint working with health and social care professionals involved with people, who accessed the service.

We received consistent positive feedback about the staff and about the care that people received. Staff received training to help ensure they understood how to respect people’s privacy, dignity and rights. People told us how their relatives were given time during care visits to develop relationships with care staff.

We found people's needs were being met in a person centred manner and reflected their personal preferences. The manager advised us that staff were always introduced to service users, prior to any support being provided. This helped to ensure people received their care from staff they were familiar with. There were clear assessment processes in place, which helped to ensure staff had a good understanding of people's needs before they started to support them. People’s care was delivered in a way that took account of their needs and the support they required to live independently at home.

Staff and people who used the service told us that the management team were approachable. We found the registered manager was familiar with people who used the service and their needs. When we discussed people's needs the manager showed good knowledge about the people in his care.

We looked at staff meeting minutes, they showed staff were involved in discussions about improving the service and management input was motivating to encourage the staff team to provide good standards of care and support.

The service had a complaints procedure which was made available to people they supported. People we spoke with told us they knew how to make a complaint if they had any concerns and the service had sent information on how to make a complaint to all people

The registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included satisfaction surveys, audits, spot check and care reviews. We found people were satisfied with the service they received. We found the registered manager receptive to feedback and keen to improve the service. They worked with us in a positive manner providing all the information we requested.

' Is the service safe?

' Is the service effective?

' Is the service caring?

' Is the service responsive?

' Is the service well-led?

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, speaking with people using the service, the staff supporting them and from looking at records.

Is the service safe?

People told us they felt safe when receiving treatment and support from DCS Fylde. Following our last inspection we found that the service had improved its recruitment processes. People told us they felt safe when being cared for by staff who had been properly selected and employed.

People told us that they felt their care and support was of a high standard. The people we spoke with stated they consistently found staff to be respectful and supportive towards them. One relative told us, 'I trust the carers and strongly believe my wife is safe in their hands. The staff know what they are doing'.

DCS Fylde had effective systems in place to ensure the equipment in use was properly maintained. The service worked well with other providers to ensure the correct equipment was in place. Staff were properly trained to use equipment that was provided.

Care records were in-depth and held risk assessments to manage people's support safely. These assessments matched people's needs and were regularly reviewed. DCS Fylde frequently observed staff care practices to ensure that people were protected from unsafe care.

Policies and procedures were in place to make sure that unsafe practice was identified and people were protected.

Is the service effective?

People's social, health and support needs were assessed with them, and they were involved in writing their support plans. Support plans were individualised, signed, dated and reviewed regularly. Consent to care was sought, agreed and recorded prior to any support being provided.

We observed that DCS Fylde worked effectively with other providers. People received the additional support required because the service had acted appropriately in referring to other services.

Is the service caring?

We spoke with people and their relatives to gain an understanding of their experiences of receiving support from DCS Fylde. Their response was very positive. One person told us, 'They take their time and never rush me. Nothing is too much for them'.

Staff explained that they worked in a caring and friendly manner. They described being respectful to and working with people to understand their needs. One staff member told us, 'Clients have copies of their care plan. If they want to change anything then we'll discuss this and amend it. It's about their needs'.

Is the service responsive?

People's needs were assessed before they accessed the service. This meant DCS Fylde were able to confirm that they could meet the individual's support needs. Care was reviewed regularly with the individual concerned, or their relative, to meet changing needs.

The service worked well with other providers. People's changing needs were monitored and, where appropriate, other providers were referred to. This meant DCS Fylde enabled people to access additional support when this became necessary.

Is the service well-led?

DCS Fylde had a range of quality internal and external audits in place. Other regular processes underpinned this, such as satisfaction surveys and team meetings. We observed that the service monitored and recorded staff providing care. This meant DCS Fylde protected people from unsafe care.

Staff told us they were clear about their roles and responsibilities. One person told us, 'I've seen a lot of good changes over the last few months, such as new systems to monitor and support us to do our jobs well'.

'I find them (the carers) very, very good. They are all extremely obliging and helpful.'

'I am happy with all the girls who come here. There isn't one I don't look forward to seeing.'

We viewed letters received by the agency from people who used the service, expressing satisfaction with all aspects of the service. One recent comment made was, 'We would like to thank staff for the tremendous attention to (name removed) needs and consideration of his personal needs. The way they all treat and communicate with him is wonderful, showing great respect for his dignity.'

During the inspection we looked at standards relating to the care and welfare of people who used the service and processes for supporting them with their medicines. We assessed how the agency managed complaints and monitored quality. Staff recruitment was another area we inspected. We identified concerns in relation to the staff recruitment and processes for monitoring quality. We have asked the provider to take action to address our concerns and will carry out further work to ensure the areas of concern are addressed.