Dudley MBC Home Care Services

Updated 22 May 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 carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type:

Dudley MBC Home Care Services is a domiciliary care service. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes on a short-term basis. CQC regulates only the care provided. 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:

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be able to speak with a large number of care staff. Inspection site visit activity started on 16 April 2019 and ended on 17 April 2019. We visited the office location to see the registered manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.

What we did:

Due to technical problems, the provider was not able to complete a Provider Information Return. 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. Prior to the inspection we reviewed information we held about the service since their last inspection. This included notifications received from the provider about deaths, accidents/incidents and safeguarding alerts which they are required to send us by law. We also contacted the commissioners who commissioned services from this provider and other stakeholders.

During the inspection we spoke with seven people, three relatives, 11 members of the care staff, care manager, assistant team manager and the registered manager. We looked at the care and review records for three people, three care staff files and records related to the management and quality of the service.

Updated 22 May 2019

About the service:

Dudley MBC Home Care Services is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes on a short-term basis. On the day of the inspection, 91 people were receiving support.

People’s experience of using this service:

People received safe care. People were supported safely and there were enough care staff to keep them safe. There were recruitment systems in place to ensure only appropriate staff were appointed to support people. Where people were administered medicines, this was carried out as it was prescribed. Care staff had access to appropriate equipment in line with the provider’s infection control procedures. Where accidents and incidents took place, trends were monitored.

People received effective care. Care staff had the knowledge and skills to support people how they wanted. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and care staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. People decided what meals they had to eat. People could access health care professionals when needed with the support from care staff.

People received support that was caring and compassionate. People told us they decided how care staff supported them. Care staff were respectful of people’s privacy, dignity and independence.

People received support that was responsive to their needs. Assessments and care plans were carried out to ensure the support people received was what they wanted. There was a complaints process in place to enable people to raise concerns.

The service was well led. The registered manager demonstrated a good understanding of the service and had plans in place to improve the service people received. Communication between the service and people was good. Audits and spot checks were carried out to ensure the service people received was of a good quality. Questionnaires were used to engage with people and the information gathered was analysed to make improvements to the service.

Rating at last inspection:

Rated Good (Report published 23/09/2016).

Why we inspected:

This was a planned comprehensive inspection.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive 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