Archived: Unity Care Solutions

Updated 18 May 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 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.

We carried out this inspection on 6 April 2017 and it was announced. The provider was given 48 hour notice. Notice was provided to ensure relevant people were in the office to facilitate the inspection process. The inspection was undertaken by an inspector. The inspection included a visit to the office that was the registered location and telephone contact with people who used the service their representatives and staff working for the agency.

Before our inspection we reviewed the information we held about the agency, which included previous inspection reports, safeguarding alerts, associated investigations undertaken by the local authority and notifications received. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. The provider also completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

Following the inspection visit we spoke with the Local Authority Contracting Team and the commissioners for Continuing Health Care, both are responsible for monitoring the quality and safety of the service provided to people. We also spoke with a nurse assessor for child and adult care in the community. On the day of the office visit we spoke with the office manager, community assessor and nurse case manager. We looked at four staff files, complaint and safeguarding records and quality review checks. We looked at staff scheduling records and systems for staff training and supervision. Five people’s care files were reviewed along with a selection of policies and procedures that supported the provision of care. Following the office visit we spoke with four people who were receiving a service or their representatives and three care support workers.

Updated 18 May 2017

Unity Care Solutions is a nursing and domiciliary care agency based in Eastbourne. The office is close to the town centre and has parking spaces to the rear of the building and on local roads. It provides personal care and nursing care to adults and children living in their own homes covering Eastbourne town and the surrounding areas. People receiving this care had varied care and support needs. This included help with personal hygiene, the administration of medicines and support in the preparation of food. Some people had memory loss and lived with dementia. Other people had mobility problems and needed assistance in moving, sometimes with the support of two staff and equipment. One person had nursing needs that required 24 hour nursing care and others had complex care needs that required staff to undertake additional training including care of breathing equipment.

This inspection was announced with the provider given 48 hours’ notice. The inspection took place on the 6 April 2017. At the time of this inspection the agency was providing a service to 16 people. The agency had a registered manager who was also the provider of the service. 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.

People’s care was personalised to reflect their wishes and what was important to them. People were supported by staff who knew them well and understood their needs and preferences. People knew when their visits were to take place and what staff member was providing the care. People were introduced to staff before they provided them with care and they were looked after by a team of regular staff. All feedback from people and their representatives regarding the service and the staff was positive. They told us they felt safe with the staff who were well trained to do their work.

The agency employed enough staff with the right skills to meet people’s needs and people’s safety was ensured through appropriate recruitment practices. There was an induction programme in place and staff received the training and support they required to meet people’s needs. Staff were trained in the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and understood the importance of people giving their consent. The management team knew the correct procedures to follow when people lacked capacity to make decisions. Staff understood and could recognise the signs of potential abuse and knew what to do if they needed to raise a safeguarding concern. Training records confirmed staff had received training on safeguarding adults and children at risk.

People were looked after by staff who were caring and kind and took account of people’s privacy and dignity. People said they were happy with the care and support staff provided to them and that it met their individual needs. The needs and choices of people had been clearly documented in their care plans. Where people’s needs changed people’s care and support plans were reviewed to ensure the person received the care and support they required.

People were regularly asked for their feedback about the service and support they received and were aware how to make a complaint. There was an open and positive culture at the service. The staff told us they felt supported and listened to by the registered manager and the office staff. The agency had clear aims and objectives and worked to improve the quality of the service. They used feedback from internal and external resources and responded positively to any feedback received.