Background to this inspection
Updated
3 August 2015
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the registered persons were meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Before our inspection visit to the service we reviewed notifications of incidents that the registered persons had sent us. In addition, we contacted local health and social care agencies who pay for some people to use the service. We did this to obtain their views about how well the service was meeting people’s needs. We also spoke by telephone with 20 people who used the service and with three of their relatives. In addition, we spoke by telephone with eight members of staff who provided care for people.
We visited the administrative office of the service on 17 June 2015 and the inspection team consisted of two inspectors. The inspection was announced. This was because the registered persons were sometimes out of the office and we needed to be sure that they would be available to contribute to the inspection.
During the inspection visit we spoke with a senior member of staff who was responsible for organising the visits completed to people’s homes. In addition we spoke with the registered manager and the quality and compliance manager. We examined records relating to how the service was run. These included five care plans that described the assistance each person wanted to receive and which listed the care that had actually been delivered. We also examined records relating to visit times, staffing, training and health and safety.
Updated
3 August 2015
This was an announced inspection carried out on 17 June 2015.
There was a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
Hales – Lincoln provides care for people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection the service was providing care for 167 people most of whom were older people. The service covered Lincoln, Grantham and surrounding villages.
Staff knew how to recognise and report any concerns so that people were kept safe from harm and abuse. People had been helped to avoid having accidents and medicines were managed safely. There were enough staff and background checks had been completed before new staff were appointed.
Staff had received the training and guidance they needed to provide people with the care they needed including helping them to eat and drink enough. People had been helped to receive all of the healthcare assistance they needed. Staff had ensured that people’s rights were protected. This was because the Mental Capacity Act 2005 Code of Practice was followed when staff contributed to decisions that were made on their behalf.
People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect. Staff recognised people’s right to privacy, respected confidential information and promoted people’s dignity.
People had received all of the care they needed including people who had special communication needs and were at risk of becoming distressed. People had been consulted about the care they wanted to receive and they were supported to celebrate their diversity. Staff had offered people the opportunity to maintain their independence and to pursue their interests.
Some of the quality checks were not robust. The service was not always run in an open and inclusive way that encouraged staff to contribute to its development. People who used the service had been consulted about its development and had benefited from staff being involved in good practice initiatives.