19 December 2017
During a routine inspection
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to older adults. Five people were using the service at the time of inspection.
The service had a registered manager in place. 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.
During this inspection we found two breaches of regulations. The service did not have sufficiently robust staff recruitment procedures in place and quality assurance and monitoring systems were not always effective. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of the full version of this report.
Appropriate safeguarding procedures were in place and people told us they felt safe using the service. Risk assessments provided information about how to support people in a safe manner. Staff had a good understanding about infection control issues and used protective clothing to help prevent the spread of infection. Lessons were learnt when accidents or incidents occurred to help improve the service.
People’s needs were assessed before they began using the service. Staff received training and supervision to support them, in their role. Where the service supported people with meal preparation they were able to choose what they ate and drank. People were supported to access relevant health care professionals. People were able to make choices for themselves where they had the capacity to do so and the service operated in line the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
People told us they were treated with respect and that staff were caring. Staff had a good understanding of how to promote people’s privacy, independence and dignity.
Care plans were in place which set out how to meet people’s individual needs and these were subject to review. The service had a complaints procedure in place and people knew how to make a complaint. The service worked with other agencies to support people with end of life care.
Staff and people spoke positively about the registered manager. The service had systems in place for seeking the views of people on the running of the service.