Background to this inspection
Updated
6 November 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 and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
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.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority service improvement and safeguarding team. 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 10 people who used the service and their relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with and received feedback from 15 members of staff including the registered manager, care coordinators and care workers.
We reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care records and six 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.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.
Updated
6 November 2021
About the service
Helping Hands Christchurch is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. 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. The service was supporting 37 people in Dorset and Hampshire.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People, their relatives and staff told us they felt the care and support provided by Helping Hands Christchurch was safe. There were enough staff to provide the care and people were kept informed of last-minute changes or problems by the management team. People told us the staff attended to all their needs and were not rushed.
Safety was important to the service and people had individual risk assessments in place for all their care and support needs. Environmental risk assessments were completed to ensure safety for people and staff. Staff received training in safeguarding and knew how to raise concerns. Medicines were managed safely.
The service and staff ensured people were protected from the risks of avoidable infections by making sure they supplied and wore Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). People were supported by staff who were well trained and regular checks ensured compliance with policies and procedures. People were supported in a variety of ways which enabled them to live safely in their own home. When needed, access to health care services were supported.
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. The registered manager was confident will all aspects of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).
People had personalised care plans which were reflective of their needs. Plans were continually reviewed, and the electronic care planning systems meant changes were immediate. This meant staff were always working with the most up to date information. People and their relatives told us staff were kind and caring. Staff understood the importance of treating people with dignity and respect. Independence was always encouraged; this was confirmed by people who told us staff were keen to keep them as well as they could at home.
People knew how to make a complaint or raise a concern and were confident it would be addressed promptly by the management of the service.
Robust systems to assess the quality of the service meant it was continually learning and developing. Events within the service and the organisation were used to make improvements. There were checks at the provider level with a focus on compliance to ensure the service operated safely. People, their relatives and staff were complimentary about the management of the service. Staff felt empowered and proud to work for Helping Hands Christchurch.
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 6 August 2020 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.