Background to this inspection
Updated
30 November 2018
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 16, 17 and 18 October 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.
The inspection team consisted of an inspector and an assistant inspector.
Before the inspection we reviewed the information that we held about the service, this included notifications. Notifications are information that provider is required by law to tell us about. Due to technical problems on our part, the provider was not able to complete a Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
We visited the office location on 16 and 18 October 2018 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records relating to four people, three staff recruitment files, policies and procedures and other records relating to the running of the service. We talked with five people and one relative of a person receiving a service on the telephone on 17 October 2018. We also visited three people in their homes. We talked with the director, the registered manager and three care staff. We also spoke to a health and social care professional.
Updated
30 November 2018
This inspection took place on 16, 17 and 18 October 2018 and was announced. Care4You Homecare Services registered with the Care Quality Commission on 5 October 2017 and this was their first inspection.
Care4You Homecare Services is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to older adults and people with a physical disability.
Not everyone using Care4You Homecare Services receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection the service was providing the regulated activity of personal care support to 22 people.
There was a registered manager in place at the time of the 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.’
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible, the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People told us they received personalised care and could raise any concerns with confidence. Complaints were responded to in a timely manner and learning used to improve the service. One person said, “You feel like you've got a friend.”
People were involved in assessments of their needs and any risks; these assessments were regularly reviewed. People were supported around eating and drinking, as required. Risks around infection control were well managed. Systems ensured that staff had access to the right information at the right time.
People told us they felt safe. Systems to manage safeguarding, accidents and incidents were robust, and helped to prevent further occurrences. The management team ensured that lessons were learnt when things went wrong and were open and transparent. There were sufficient staff available to meet people’s care visits, who had time to travel between visits and appropriately meet people’s needs. There were plans in place in case of emergency.
People told us that staff had the right skills to support them. Staff were recruited using robust procedures and were supported with training and supervision. Staff were well supported by the management team.
People were treated with kindness, respect and compassion with their independence promoted. One person told us, “I couldn't wish for better care.” People had developed positive relationships with staff. People told us that they felt their privacy was respected.
Quality assurance systems were in place to ensure that the provider had oversight of the quality of the service provision such as audits, surveys and supervision. These were used to improve the service and people’s experience.
Staff worked in partnership with other agencies to provide the right support for people.