Verina Daly Care Ltd

Updated 12 March 2019

The inspection:

• We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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.

Inspection team:

• The inspection was completed by one inspector and one expert by experience [ExE] who made telephone calls to people’s relatives regarding the delivery of care and support. 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:

• Verina Daly Care Limited a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in the Meon Valley and surrounding areas of Hampshire.

• The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission who was also the provider. This means that they are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of Inspection:

• We gave the service 48 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 available to talk with us.

During the inspection:

• Inspection site visit activity started on 25 February 2019. It included speaking with people and their relatives. We visited the office location on 25 February 2019 to speak with the registered manager, deputy manager and senior care staff and to review care records and policies and procedures. On the 26 February 2019 we telephoned and spoke with four members of care staff.

What we did:

• We reviewed information we had received about the service. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about and we sought feedback from one health care professional who worked with the service. We did not ask asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) before our inspection. 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.

During and following the inspection:

• The expert by experience [ExE] telephoned and spoke with seven relatives of people using the service.

• We reviewed care records and risk assessments for four people.

• Reviewed staff recruitment, training and supervision records for four staff.

• Records of accidents, incidents, complaints and compliments.

• Audits, quality assurance reports and surveys.

• Spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager and six care staff.

• We obtained written feedback from one health and social care professional.

Updated 12 March 2019

About the service:

In September 2017 The Care Quality Commission (CQC) re-registered the provider at a new location address. There has not been any change in ownership of Verina Daly Care Limited just an adjustment to the location address. As there has not been any change of ownership or leadership this report makes reference to how under the previous provider the service was not meeting a number of the fundamental standards and was in breach of three Regulations. This inspection checked to see whether those required improvements had been made.

• Verina Daly Care Limited is a domiciliary care provider and also provides a live-in care service. At the time of this inspection 29 people received personal care support from the service. The service supported older people, some of who were living with dementia and people with physical disabilities, within their own homes.

• Not everyone using the service received a 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.

People’s experience of using this service:

• People received a consistently good service and felt safe with the care and support they received from the staff.

• Staff understood how to raise concerns both within and outside of the service should they need to.

• People and staff felt they were listened to and that their ideas and any concerns they may have were addressed.

• People received their medicines safely.

• Staff knew people well and provided support the way they wanted. People’s individual needs and preferences were known and understood by staff which meant that they received a person-centred service.

• Training and observations of staff practice, as well as supervision with the management team ensured that staff were competent in their roles.

• People were involved in decisions about their care. Staff sought appropriate consent and asked people what help they needed. People received care that respected their privacy and dignity as well as promoting their independence wherever possible.

• Staff supported people with timely access to external healthcare when they were unwell and supported them to access medical appointments as needed.

• The service was well-led by a dedicated management team who demonstrated compassion and commitment to the needs of the people who used the service as well as the staff who worked for them.

• At our inspection in September 2017, the overall rating for the service has requires improvement. At this inspection the overall rating for the service has improved to Good.

Why we inspected:

• This was a planned, announced comprehensive inspection to check that the service had made the required improvements.

Follow up:

• We will continue to monitor the intelligence we receive about this service and plan to inspect in line with our re-inspection schedule for those services rated as Good.