Background to this inspection
Updated
11 January 2022
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.
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. Inspection activity started on 16 December 2021 and ended on 23 December 2021. We visited the office location on 16 December 2021. We obtained feedback from a sample of people who received a service, their relatives, and staff, on the days between 16 December 2021 and 23 December 2021.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since it first registered with the CQC. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with four relatives of people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the registered manager, team leader and nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.
We reviewed a range of records. This included relevant parts of three people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed. We received feedback from four staff members and one external professional who had contact with the service.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and other information the provider sent to us.
Updated
11 January 2022
About the service
Diamond Care Solutions Ltd provided personal care to 11 people at the time of the inspection. 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 were protected from the risk of potential abuse. The provider’s staff had received safeguarding training and were supported by the provider’s policies and procedures. People had appropriate care plans and risk assessments in place and were supported by enough staff to meet their care needs. Minor recruitment records issues were identified during the inspection, but they were immediately addressed by the registered manager. People were supported to receive their prescribed medicines appropriately and staff had access to enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to work safely.
People’s care plans were comprehensive and guided staff on how to give people effective support. Staff received necessary training, and new staff also spent time shadowing experienced staff as part of their induction. People’s relatives told us they valued the support from the provider.
People were treated with kindness and compassion by the provider’s staff and managers. Feedback from people and their relatives was wholly positive. People were involved in shaping the care they received. The person’s daily care records were available for the person, or their relatives, to review so they were aware of the support that had been provided.
The provider confirmed they would be able to provide information for people in a variety of different formats and languages if required. The provider had a complaint policy and procedure in place which was made known to people and their relatives, however they had received no complaints. End of life care was provided sensitively, which was confirmed by relative’s feedback.
The service was well led, and the registered manager was committed to providing a high quality, compassionate, service. The provider had quality monitoring processes and had established positive working relationships with external care and health providers to ensure people received the continuity of care they required.
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.
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 18 June 2020 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection to check whether the service was operating in accordance with registration requirements.
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.