Careline Homecare (Sheffield)

Updated 12 May 2023

The inspection

We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.

Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of an 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 provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure the provider or registered manager would be available to support the inspection. Inspection activity started on 22 March 2023 and ended on 18 April 2023.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about. We sought feedback from professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 4 people who used the service and 7 relatives on 22 March 2023. We met with the registered manager on 22 and 27 March 2023 and 17 April 2023. We looked at 3 people’s care records, and a range of records relating to the management of the service including staff training records, audits and meeting minutes. We received feedback from 6 members of care staff.

This was an ‘inspection using remote technology’. This means we did not visit the office location and instead used technology such as electronic file sharing to gather information, and video and phone calls to engage with people using the service as part of this performance review and assessment.

Updated 12 May 2023

About the service:

Careline Homecare (Sheffield) is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides services to younger and older adults, people with learning disabilities, people with physical disabilities and complex health needs. At the time of inspection 92 people were receiving support from the service.

Not everyone using Careline receives 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 and what we found

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

At the time of the inspection, the location did not care or support for anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.

Right Support

The model of care maximised people’s choice, control and independence. 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 were enough staff to take care of people. Staff were receiving appropriate training and they told us the training was good and relevant to their role.

Right Care

People's likes, preferences and dislikes were assessed, and care packages met people's expectations. Risks to people's health and safety were identified and assessed to ensure safe care delivery for people. Care was person-centred and promoted people’s dignity, privacy and human rights. Care plans were up to date and detailed the care and support people wanted and needed. People’s medicines were managed safely.

Right Culture

The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensured people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives. People who used the service and their relatives told us staff were kind and caring. People and relatives engaged in planning people’s care and support. The provider had strengthened their systems for monitoring the quality and safety of the service.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 20 June 2019) and there were breaches of regulation. At this inspection, we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

At our last inspection we recommended the service consider current guidance on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and act to update their practice accordingly. At this inspection we found the provider had acted on any recommendations and had made improvements.

Why we inspected

We carried out a comprehensive inspection of this service in May 2019. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment and good governance.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions safe, effective and well-led which contain those requirements and recommendation.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Careline Homecare (Sheffield) on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.