17 September 2014
During an inspection looking at part of the service
We considered all the evidence we had gathered under the outcomes we inspected.
We used the information to answer the five key questions we always ask;
' Is the service safe?
' Is the service effective?
' Is the service caring?
' Is the service responsive?
' Is the service well led?
This is a summary of what we found. The summary describes the records we looked at and what people using the service, their relatives and the staff told us.
Is the service safe -
The manager told us sufficient staff were employed for operational purposes and there was a good skill mix within the staff team. The support workers we spoke with confirmed they had attended an induction programme and received on-going training and support which ensured they had the skills they needed to support the people they cared for. This demonstrated to us the manager did not allow staff to work unsupervised until they felt confident they were competent to carry out their roles safely
The relatives we spoke with told us support workers were professional in their approach to providing care and support and always appeared competent and well trained. We found the support workers we spoke with had a good understanding of people's need and encouraged people to remain as independent as possible within a risk management framework.
The provider had a medication administration policy which outlined procedures for the management and administration of medication. We found the policy was been followed which meant medicines were administered safely.
Is the service effective -
The relatives we spoke with told us they were involved in planning people's care and support and were pleased with the standard of support they received. They also told us the management team were very approachable and they could contact them at any time if they had a problem.
We saw support plans were in place for all people who used the service and they were generated from the initial needs assessment. We saw people who used the service or their relatives had signed their support plans which showed that the plan had been explained to them and they had agreed and understood the content. We looked at four support care plans and found they were person centred and provided support workers with the information they needed to carry out their roles effectively and in people's best interest.
Staff were supported to deliver care safely and to an appropriate standard.
Is the service caring -
The relatives we spoke with told us they were involved in the planning of people's care and support and were pleased with the standard of care they received. They also told us the management team listened to them regarding how they wanted their care and support to be delivered and all the support workers were kind, caring and friendly.
One relative told us "The support workers are excellent, they never let me down and are always pleasant and cheerful."
Is the service responsive -
The relatives of people who used the service told us the initial assessment process was thorough and the manager had listened to them regarding how they wanted their care and support to be delivered. They also told us they were encouraged to ask questions during the initial assessment visit and this had helped them to make an informed decision about whether or not the agency could meet their needs.
One relative told us the agency had a flexible approach to providing care and support and had acted on their request to change their support package at short notice.
Is the service well led -
We saw there was a quality assurance monitoring system in place that was designed to continually monitor and identify shortfalls in the service and any non-compliance with the essential standards of quality and safety.
The relatives of people who used the service told us they had confidence in the management team. They said they were approachable and were in contact with them on a regular basis. One person said "I have the contact details for the management team and have always been able to contact them if I have a problem or concern." Another relative said "Although I have had in the past had some concerns about the service things have improved recently.'
The support workers we spoke with confirmed they were well supported by the management team. They said they could contact them at any time if they had concerns. All the support workers we spoke with told us the communication between management and staff was good. This ensured the needs of people who used the service were met in line with their agreed support plan.