Background to this inspection
Updated
24 August 2022
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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
This inspection was carried out by three inspectors, a medicines 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.
Registered Manager
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was announced.
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 25 July 2022 and ended on 28 July 2022. We visited the location’s office/service on 25 July 2022.
What we did before the inspection
We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used this information we held about the service. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with ten people and 12 people's relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the registered manager and the care coordinator and received feedback from seven members of staff.
We reviewed a range of records. This included eight people's care records and three people’s medication records.
We looked at three staff files in relation to staff recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, staff development and the provider’s policies and procedures were reviewed. After the inspection, we continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.
Updated
24 August 2022
About the service
Helping Hands Cheltenham is a domiciliary care service providing the regulated activity of personal care. At the time of our inspection there were 28 people using the service.
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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People's needs were assessed when they first started using the service to ensure the service could meet their needs and to understand their personal likes and preferences. This information informed people’s care plans which guided staff on how to deliver safe and effective care to people.
Accidents and incidents were reported and responded to appropriately.
People were supported to take their medicines safely by staff who were assessed as being competent in managing administering their medicines.
Staff followed good infection control practices and had access to personal protective equipment (PPE)
Staff were safely recruited, and people told us they were supported by a small and consistent staff team who knew them well.
Staff had been suitably inducted and had received ongoing training to carry out their roles effectively.
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.
People and relatives provided positive feedback about the friendly and positive nature of the staff team who supported them. They reported they were treated with kindness and respect.
People and their relatives were involved in the planning of their care needs. People's views and experiences of the care they received were considered and reviewed to help drive improvements.
People and their told us they felt their concerns were listened to and acted on.
The registered manager promoted a positive culture and expected high standards of care. The registered manager monitored the service through quality assurance checks, spot checks of staff practices and requesting feedback from people who use the service.
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 20 May 2021 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services which have had a recent Direct Monitoring Approach (DMA) assessment where no further action was needed to seek assurance about this decision and to identify learning about the DMA process.
This service had not been inspected since their registration; therefore, this inspection was also carried out to gain assurances about the quality of care and systems used to monitor and manage the service.
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.