Watch Home Care Services Limited

Updated 13 February 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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 11 & 15 January 2017 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

The inspection was completed by one adult social care 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.

Prior to the inspection the lead inspector gathered the available information from Care Quality Commission (CQC) systems to help plan the inspection. This included the detail of any notifications received, any safeguarding alerts made to the Local Authority, any complaints or whistle-blowing information received.

We spoke with three people who received care and support and seven relatives. We also spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager.

We reviewed five care records of people using the service and associated documentation such as risk assessments and pre assessments. We also reviewed four staff files, training records and records relating to the management of the service including quality audits and monitoring information.

Updated 13 February 2018

This inspection took place on the 11 & 15 January 2018.

Our last inspection of the service was carried out in February 2015. At that inspection we rated the service as good. At this inspection in January 2018 we found the service remained good.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own house in the community. It provides a service to older adults and younger disabled adults.

Watch Home Care Services Limited is registered to carry out the regulated activity of personal care. The agency’s office is located in the centre of Chorley and is readily accessible for people using the service and staff. The service provides personal care and domestic support to people living in their own homes in Chorley and the surrounding area. At the time of our inspection 37 people were receiving support from the service, 21 of whom received personal care as part of their support.

There was a registered manager in place at the time of our inspection. 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.

The service had systems in place to record safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents and take necessary action as required. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities to report unsafe care or abusive practices.

Risk assessments had been developed to minimise the potential risk of harm to people during the delivery of their care. These had been kept under review and were relevant to the care provided.

Staff had been recruited safely, appropriately trained and supported. They had skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their care and social needs.

People received their medicines as prescribed and when needed and appropriate records had been completed. No-one spoken with raised concerns about their medicines.

Staffing levels were seen to be sufficient to meet the assessed needs of the people. People and relatives told us that staff were consistent and turned up on time.

People had been supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff we spoke with had a good understanding of protecting and respecting people’s human rights. Staff spoke well about confidentiality, privacy and dignity and this came through when speaking with people.

The service had information with regards to support from an external advocate should this be required by them.

Care plans contained a good level of person centred information with good guidance for staff. People who wished to be involved in care reviews did so.

A number of audits were undertaken to ensure the on-going quality of the service was monitored appropriately and lessons were learned from issues that occurred.

The service communicated well with people, relatives and staff. We saw evidence of a number of ways this was done including memo’s, newsletters and spot-checks.

The feedback from people and relatives was very positive and we received lots of comments from them about the agency, its staff and management.