Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Domiciliary Care Agency

Updated 16 November 2017

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 provider is 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. This inspection took place on 18 and 20 October 2017.

The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the service provides a domiciliary care service and the registered manager is sometimes out of the office and we needed to be sure that they would be in. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection we looked at all of the information that we had about the service. This included information from notifications received by us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law.

During the inspection we visited the service’s office and looked at five people’s care records and we met and spoke with10 people supported by the service. We visited and spoke with seven people living at two supported living premises and also spoke with three people by telephone. Some people we met had limited verbal abilities and were not fully able to tell us of their experiences of the care and support provided. However, during the inspection we observed staff providing people’s care and support to help us understand the experience of people who could not speak with us.

We also spoke with the registered manager, three service managers (who support and supervise care staff in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough), an administration officer and seven care staff. We saw records in relation to people’s support, the management of the service, records regarding complaints and concerns, the management of staff, recruitment and training. We also spoke with a care manager and a quality improvement manager from the local authority and a healthcare professional that had regular contact with the service as part of our planning for this inspection.

Updated 16 November 2017

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Domiciliary Care Agency provides personal care to people who live in supported living premises and in their own homes. There were 20 people receiving personal care from the service when we visited. This announced inspection took place on 18 and 20 October 2015. At the last inspection on 15 and 16 October 2015 the service was rated as ‘Good’. At this inspection we found the service remained ‘Good’

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

Staff were knowledgeable about reporting any abuse. There were a sufficient number of staff and recruitment procedures ensured that only suitable staff were employed. Risk assessments were in place and actions were taken to reduce identified risks.

The registered manager and staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. People were supported to have choice and control over their lives as much as possible and staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible. People’s privacy and dignity were respected and their support was provided in a caring and a patient way.

Care was provided based on people’s individual health, personal and social care needs. There was a complaints process in place so that people could raise their concerns and complaints and these were acted upon by staff.

The provider had quality assurance processes and procedures in place to monitor the quality and safety of people’s care. People were able to make suggestions in relation to the support and care provided and felt listened to.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.