Archived: Sevacare - Telford

Sevacare Telford provides personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting 38 older people.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

People were supported by staff who knew how to keep them safe. People’s risks had been assessed and were being appropriately managed. People were supported by staff who had been recruited safely. People received their medicines safely by competent staff. There were systems in place to check people received their medicines safely.

Most people and their relatives told us they were happy with their care calls and received them on time.

People were cared for by staff who had the required skills and support to carry out personal care. People’s human rights were protected as they consented to their care and support. People were supported by staff who understood the principles and application of the Mental Capacity Act.

People were happy with the support they had to eat and drink. People were given choices about what they ate and drank and specialist dietary requirements were identified and appropriately managed. People were supported to maintain good health and had access to healthcare when required.

People were supported by staff who treated them with kindness. People were involved in making decisions about how their care and support was provided and staff supported people in a way that maintained their privacy and dignity and promoted their independence.

People and their relatives felt involved in the assessment, planning and review of their care and support needs. People and their relatives knew how to raise a concern or complaint and the provider took action to address and resolve complaints.

People and staff were encouraged to give feedback on the service. Staff felt supported in their roles and understood their responsibilities. The provider’s systems for monitoring and checking the quality of the service were effective in identifying areas for improvement and the registered manager demonstrated a commitment to the continuous development of the service.

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary describes what people using the service and the staff told us and the records we looked at.

Is the service safe?

People told us they felt that staff were reliable and trustworthy. One person told us, 'Staff treat me with respect, I feel safe in their care'. The provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening.

Risks to people's health had been identified as had the actions staff should take to minimise those risks.

Staff spoken with told us they received refresher training, which enabled them to carry out their role safely. Training records showed that staff were up-to-date in training considered to be mandatory by the provider, which included safe people handling, safeguarding vulnerable adults, medication and health and safety.

Is the service caring?

People commented that they felt the staff did a good job and knew what they were required to do. People told us that staff were reliable and treated them well. One person told us, 'I have no complaints, staff treat me well'.

Is the service responsive?

People who used the service and their representatives were asked for their views about their care and treatment and they were acted on. This meant that the service was responsive to people's comments and needs.

The provider took account of complaints and comments to improve the service. Staff told us they would contact the office staff if they had a problem, and were confident that their problem would be dealt with. This meant that the service was responsive to the needs and views of people and their staff.

Is the service effective?

Everyone we spoke with told us they were satisfied with the service provided and that their needs were met. One person told us, 'Everything is going OK at the moment, I am happy'. Another person told us, 'The care is fine, it is delivered as per the guidance. We have no issues'.

People's needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered in line with each individual's care plan. Staff we spoke with understood people's care needs and the support they were to provide. Staff told us they had regular clients which they visited. This enabled them to build a relationship with people and get to know their needs and preferences. People told us that they generally received care from regular staff, which they appreciated.

Is the service well led?

The service had an experienced registered manager in post. Staff spoken with told us they were happy with how they were supported by senior staff and reported that they had no problems.

The provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people receive. The system included a number of methods including directly observing staff carrying out their duties.

Each person received an assessment of their care needs, including any risks associated with their care provision. People consented to the care that was provided. One person told us, 'I was asked what I wanted and they listened to what I had to say.'

The staff received training that was appropriate for their individual needs. They were provided with the information they needed to care for people living in their home. One person we spoke with told us, 'I have every faith in the staff. They are so flexible and understanding.'

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service, although it had not been identified that people were not always provided with the agreed level of support and visits were not always on time.

Everybody we spoke with told us they felt fully included and involved in making decisions about the way their care was to be carried out by the service. They considered care workers had a good understanding of individuals' needs and preferences.

Everyone who received support with their medication said this aspect of their support was well managed, and staff, "Knew what they were doing."

The service had robust recruitment processes to make sure they employed the right people to meet the needs of people who relied on the services of Sevacare Telford. People told us that they liked the staff and they felt safe. Staff told us they enjoyed their work and said they were well supported.

The service ensured that people's views were considered and listened to both formally and informally. People had been provided with information on how to use the complaints process.