Howse Garden

Updated 29 May 2021

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 was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. 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.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced.

We gave the service two working day’s notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider/registered manager would be available to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 18 May 2021 and ended on 24 May 2021. We visited the location on 18 May 2021.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager and the following day spoke with one person who used the service. We received feedback from one relative about their experience of the care provided and from one staff member.

We reviewed a range of records. This included one person’s care records and their medication records. We looked at one staff member’s file in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data, policies and procedures and quality assurance records. We received feedback from two social care professionals.

Updated 29 May 2021

About the service

Howse Garden is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to one older person and a second person, who was in hospital at the time of the inspection.

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.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People could give us limited feedback on their views about the service. They did confirm they were happy with the support they received and liked the staff who visited them. A relative gave us their experiences of the service and were complimentary on how staff dealt with situations and confirmed they provided good consistent care.

Medicines were managed safely. There were safe infection and prevention and control practices (IPC) being followed.

People were supported in line with their support plans which meant risks to people were effectively managed. People’s independence was optimised and their privacy respected. 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.

Staff felt supported by the registered manager (who was also the provider). The registered manager had arranged training to enhance staff skills and knowledge. People were supported to shop and prepare their meals; individual dietary preferences were clearly recorded, and people were encouraged to eat healthily. People were supported to access health and social care professionals when needed.

The registered manager had an understanding of their responsibilities and a sound overview of the service. Regular auditing took place to inform where improvements may be required.

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

Rating at last inspection This service was registered with us on 22 November 2017 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected This was a planned inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.