Helping Hands Coventry

Updated 14 August 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. 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

This inspection was carried out 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.

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

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since it was registered with us. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including care staff, the registered manager, area manager and quality manager.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including polices and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 14 August 2019

About the service

Helping Hands Coventry is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care. Staff were providing personal care to 30 people. This included both older people (aged over 65) and younger adults, some of which, were living with dementia or physical disabilities, 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 felt safe with the care staff who supported them, and risks associated with their care had been assessed and managed to keep people safe. Staff understood safeguarding procedures should they be concerned a person may not be safe.

People's needs were assessed before they started to receive care visits to make sure their needs could be met. Care plans confirmed how people should receive support and people's experience of their care visits were regularly reviewed to ensure these were completed in accordance with what had been agreed.

People were treated with dignity, respect and kindness. Staff knew people well and provided personalised care. 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. People’s preferences for care were recorded in their care plans to ensure they received care and support in accordance with their wishes.

People received their medicines when needed them. Some improvements to medicine records were identified to make sure it was consistently clear how medicines had been managed.

Staff understood their responsibilities to maintain good infection control practices to prevent the spread of infection and people confirmed staff followed good practice when supporting them.

There were enough suitably trained staff available to meet people's needs, and enough time allocated to care visits to provide the support people required. People confirmed they received the support as agreed and spoke positively of the caring approach of staff. The provider carried out competency checks of staff regularly to make sure they continued to support people safely and appropriately.

Staff worked with other professionals to ensure people received support when needed. Staff supported people to make contact with health care professionals if required.

People knew how to raise any concerns with the agency if needed and confirmed these were responded to and actions taken to resolve them.

There was a quality monitoring system to enable the registered manager and provider to have oversight of the service, and make sure any improvements needed, were identified and acted upon.

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

Rating at the last inspection

This service was registered with us on 9 July 2018 and this was the first inspection to this service.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection following registration of the service.

Follow up:

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