Updated 29 March 2019
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team:
One adult social care inspector carried out this inspection.
Service and service type:
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides a service to older adults.
Not everyone using Devon Home Care Limited receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.
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 visit because it is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.
Inspection site visit activity started on 18 March 2019 and ended on 20 March 2019. We visited the office location on 18 March 2019 to see the manager and office staff; meet with care staff, and reviewed care records and policies and procedures. We carried out phone calls to people and their relatives on 19 March 2019. We carried out home visits to people and their relatives on 20 March 2019.
What we did:
When planning our inspection, we looked at information we held about the service. This included notifications about significant incidents which the provider is required to inform us about by law. The provider had submitted a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
We spoke with 11 people and 1 relative by telephone. We also visited three people and two relatives in their own homes. We spoke with the registered manager, senior care staff, administrator and three care staff. We received feedback from two healthcare professionals.
We looked at five people’s care records, three staff recruitment files and other records relating to the management of the service including quality assurance.