Background to this inspection
Updated
10 October 2019
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection team included one 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.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
The registered manager was currently not working at the service and the deputy manager was responsible for the day to day running of the service.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 18 September 2019 and ended on 19 September 2019. We visited the office location on 18 and 19 September 2019.
What we did before inspection
Before the inspection we reviewed the information, we held about the service and the service provider. The registered provider completed a 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 looked at the notifications we had received for this service. Notifications are information about important events the service is required to send us by law.
During the inspection
During the office site visit we looked at records, which included six people's care and medicines records. We checked training records and looked at a range of records about how the service was managed. We spoke with 14 people by telephone to gather their views about the support received. This included people’s relatives and representatives. We visited four people in their own homes and spoke with them and their relatives about the support they received. This also helped us to observe interactions between people and staff. During the inspection process we spoke with eight staff, this included the deputy manager and the quality assurance advisor from the provider. We received feedback from one healthcare professional who was supported someone who used the service.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We contacted five professionals who were involved with the service to ask for their feedback. We received written feedback from two further staff members.
Updated
10 October 2019
About the service
Nurseplus UK - 3 Hyde Gardens is a domiciliary care agency which provides support with personal care to people living in their own homes. The provider is a large organisation who has a number of branches throughout the country. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection 39 people were receiving support with personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were supported by staff who were kind, caring and patient. They understood people’s care and support needs and what was important to each person. They were enabled to make their own decisions and choices about the care they received each day.
People received support from a regular group of staff who knew them and understood their support needs. The deputy manager was continually working to ensure people’s group of care staff remained as small as practicably possible. Staff arrived at their calls when they should and stayed for the correct amount of time.
People were protected from the risks of harm, abuse or discrimination because staff knew what actions to take if they identified concerns. There were enough staff working to provide the support people needed. Recruitment procedures ensured only suitable staff worked at the service.
Risk assessments provided guidance for staff about individual and environmental risks. Staff understood the risks associated with the people they supported. People were supported to receive their medicines safely, when they needed them.
Staff received training that enabled them to provide the care and support that people needed. Staff received regular supervision and support from the deputy manager. They felt supported by their colleagues. People's health needs were met, they were supported to have access to healthcare services when they needed them. People told us staff were attentive to their health needs and would seek guidance when necessary.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
There was a manager working at the service who had good oversight. They were able to tell us about people and their needs. They were working to continually develop and improve the service. There was an audit system which helped the provider identify areas which needed to be improved.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 16 December 2016).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.