Background to this inspection
Updated
8 June 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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team:
This inspection was completed by 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. The expert-by-experience spoke on the telephone with people who used the service and their relatives.
Service and service type:
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older adults and younger disabled adults.
At the time of this inspection there was no registered manager in post. The nominated individual had applied to CQC to become the registered manager.
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 in.
Inspection site visit activity started and ended on 30 April 2019. We visited the office location on 30 April 2019 to see the manager, office and care workers; and to review care records, staff files and policies and procedures.
What we did:
Before the inspection we looked at all the information we had about the service. This information included statutory notifications the provider had sent to CQC. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. Providers are required to send us key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. This information help supports our inspection.
During the inspection we spoke with three people and two relatives to gather their views about the service. We spoke with four members of staff including the nominated individual, a business development manager, a branch manager and a care worker. We reviewed four people's care plans, risk assessments and three medicines records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment, training and supervision. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service including the provider's policies and procedures, accident and incident records, surveys, monitoring checks and minutes of meetings.
Updated
8 June 2019
About the service: Surecare Bexley & Dartford is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care to older adults and people with physical disability needs living in their own homes. At the time of this inspection, seven people were using the service.
Not everyone using Surecare Bexley and Dartford receives 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 and their relatives were complimentary about the service and told us it was well managed. People received care and support which was safe and personalised to their needs. Staff understood their responsibility to protect people in their care from abuse and report any concerns they had. Risk to people had been assessed and where specific risks were identified, appropriate management plans were in place to minimise or prevent the risk occurring. People were supported to take their medicines safely and staff followed appropriate infection control procedures to minimise the risk of infections. There were enough staff available to support people’s needs.
Before people started using the service, their needs were assessed to ensure they could be met. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People received care and support from staff that had the knowledge and skills to meet their needs. People were supported to maintain good health; eat healthily and access healthcare services when required.
People were supported by staff that were kind and caring towards them, respected their privacy and dignity and promoted their independence. Staff understood the Equality Act and supported people without discrimination. People’s communication needs had been assessed and met. People were supported to participate in activities that interested them and knew how to complain if they were unhappy.
The service had an effective system in place to assess and monitor the quality of the care delivery and had worked in partnership with key organisations to plan and deliver an effective service. People and their relatives’ views had been sought and their feedback had been used to improve the quality of care and support provided.
Rating at last inspection: This was the first inspection of this service since their registration in May 2018.
Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the date of registration.
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.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk