South Essex Domiciliary Care

South Essex Domiciliary Care is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to younger and older people with a physical, sensory or learning disability and autism living in their own homes and supported living accommodation. At the time of our inspection there were 20 people receiving a regulated activity.

Not everyone who used the service received a regulated activity. 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

Feedback from families and relatives was positive. A relative told us, “[Person name] is so well looked after.” Another relative said, “I would not want them to be anywhere else.”

Care and treatment were planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. People were cared for safely by staff who had been recruited and employed after appropriate checks had been completed.

There were systems in place to minimise the risk of infection and to learn lessons from accidents and incidents. Medication was dispensed by staff who had received training to do so.

The registered manager enabled staff to develop their skills to provide good quality care. People were supported with diet and nutrition to maintain their well-being. Staff worked well with people, families and professionals to support health and wellbeing.

Care was focused on supporting people to remain independent. Staff supported people to engage in their local community. Care was personalised around people’s needs and preferences. Staff reviewed and adapted support as people’s needs changed.

The registered manager had systems in place to monitor the service, measure outcomes for people and make improvements where needed

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

Right Support:

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.

Right Care:

Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and human rights.

Right Culture:

The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The rating at the last inspection under previous provider was good (published 5 July 2019).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service and a change in legal entity.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.