Background to this inspection
Updated
28 May 2021
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
The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats within a retirement development.
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 it is a small service and 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
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.
We reviewed all the information we had about the service. This included any notifications of significant events. Notifications are information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.
During the inspection
We visited the service to see the registered manager and to review care records, documentation and policies and procedures. We also met with the estate manager who has day to day responsibility for the running of Yourlife (Walton-on-Thames) and two staff members. We spoke with two people living at the service and a relative.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with a further relative by phone to gain their views of their loved one’s care.
Updated
28 May 2021
About the service
Yourlife (Walton-on-Thames) is a domiciliary care service which provides care to people living in their own apartments within Edward Place, a retirement development. 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. At the time of our inspection three people were receiving the regulated activity of personal care.
People’s experience of using this service
People were supported by a caring staff team who knew them well. Staff understood the need to support people to maintain their independence and ensured people’s privacy and dignity was respected.
People’s care plans were detailed and contained information on how to manage risks to people’s safety and well-being. Staff had received training in safeguarding and were aware of their responsibilities for keeping people safe from the risk of abuse.
Staff received the training and support they required to carry out their role. Staff told us they felt supported and received regular feedback to enable them to develop and gain further skills. Recruitment checks were completed in order to help the provider make safer recruitment decisions. There were enough staff available to meet all care calls in a flexible and responsive way.
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. Staff understood the need to gain consent and ensured people were fully involved about decisions regarding their care.
People, relatives and staff were complimentary about how the service was run. There was a positive culture within the service and the team worked to ensure the values of the organisation were embedded into practice. Regular feedback was sought to support the service in continually improving.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 26 November 2019 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection.
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.