17 March 2015
During a routine inspection
This inspection took place on 17 March 2015 and was announced.
Heywood Carers is a family-owned domiciliary care service that works primarily in the village of Cranleigh in Surrey. It was established in 1994. The service has the aim of supporting people to maintain or increase their independence. They work with older people who are independently mobile but may require assistance with tasks such as washing, dressing and food preparation. Alternatively, people may be able to carry out personal care tasks independently but find reassurance in the fact that a care worker is on hand should they require assistance, for example, whilst having a bath. At the time of our visit, the service was supporting 40 people with personal care and employed 12 care workers.
The owner is also the registered manager of the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People were full of praise for the service. One person told us, “They couldn’t be a finer lot, they are magnificent. All delightful and all hardworking. They work as a team. I can’t speak too highly of them”. A nurse who worked closely with the service said, “They’re very reliable, experienced, trustworthy and cheerful”. Staff spoke positively about their work. One said, “It’s a lovely job, I really do enjoy it”. Another told us, “I’m very taken with it. I wouldn’t care to work for another care agency”.
The provider worked in a focused geographical area and provided a reliable service. Staff had worked with the service for many years and people enjoyed a consistently high level of support from care workers who they knew well. People were involved in determining the care that they received and were encouraged to pursue their independence. This aim was supported by the recommendation for hour-long visits if personal care was to be delivered. One person said,
“I’m very happy with the care I receive and enjoy the company of my carers”. Feedback received by the provider was testament to the fact that the service had enabled people to continue to live in their own homes. Some people had discontinued the service once they could manage again without support.
People received a safe service. Before people began to receive support, a thorough assessment was conducted. This involved assessing risks to the person such as of falling. The areas where support was agreed were developed into a care plan which was reviewed whenever changes occurred. There were enough staff to cover the calls and ensure that people received the support they had agreed. The service had a waiting list of people and was recruiting for care workers and a second manager in order to increase the number of people they could support.
Staff received training to support them in their roles and their performance was reviewed by a process of annual appraisal. Staff assisted people with tasks including washing, dressing, preparing meals or drinks and prompting of medication. Where people could benefit from additional support, referrals were made to other healthcare professionals such as the occupational therapist or community nurses. Staff understood local safeguarding procedures. They were able to speak about the action they would take if they were concerned that someone was at risk of abuse.
People spoke enthusiastically about the staff. They told us that they were, “delightful” and that they would miss them if they no longer came. They said that they were treated with dignity and respect and that any decisions relating to their support were made in agreement with them.
The registered manager was well respected by people and staff alike. One member of staff told us,
“She’s a very good boss, always at the end of the phone. She’s very organised too”. Staff were supported by the registered manager who they told us responded quickly if they needed assistance or noticed that changes were needed in the support people received. People felt able to contact the registered manager if they had concerns and said that they received prompt attention. People told us that they understood how to complain but had not needed to. No written complaints had been received by the service.
The registered manager monitored the quality of the service by maintaining regular contact with people and staff and through a series of spot checks to ensure that the service delivered was of a consistently high standard. One person told us, “It’s a very good service. I think they’re one of the best”.