The Care Quality Commission

Archived: Home Choice Care Leicestershire

The Old Bank, 2 Cross Street, Enderby, Leicestershire, LE19 4NJ (0116) 275 2926

Provided and run by:
Age Care Home Support Services Limited

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

29 May 2012

During a themed inspection looking at Domiciliary Care Services

We carried out a themed inspection looking at Home Choice Care Leicester. The agency told us 164 people were receiving services. We asked people to tell us what it was like to receive services from this home care agency as part of a targeted inspection programme of domiciliary care agencies, with particular regard to how people's dignity were upheld and how they can make choices about their care. The inspection team was led by a CQC inspector joined by an expert by experience who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of service.

We used postal surveys, telephone interviews and home visit to people who use the service and to their main carers (a relative or friends) to gain views about the service.

We visited four people in their own home's as part of this review and spoke with them and their relatives about their experiences of the care, treatment and support received. We spoke with ten people who received a service from the agency over the telephone. We spoke with two senior staff at the time of our visit to the office and four care workers.

People told us they were happy with the service and had confidence in the care workers and manager. People told us their care needs were met and the support they received reflected their usual routines and preferences. The agency was responsive to their changing needs and their disabilities were taken into account. People told us they felt safe and had built a good rapport with their care workers, and felt confident to talk with them. Care workers had received safeguarding adults training and told us they had benefited from this training. Most of the care workers were well trained and understood people's needs. Some people told us the service had improved over the last few months and were complimentary about the new manager who they felt had brought in new changes.

People told us,

'The care is excellent, spot on.'

'There are no missed calls and the care workers come on time.'

29 June 2011

During an inspection in response to concerns

Our unannounced visit ran over two days 28th-29th June 2011. On day one, the inspector visited the agency office in Enderby in Leicestershire. Four people who use services care records were sampled and examined by the inspector. The sample included children and young people, and older peoples records.

On day two the inspector visited three service users in their homes and spoke with their relatives and supporters. One relative agreed to a telephone interview with the inspector.

Service users and relatives and their supporters were happy with the service delivery. They had consistent carers and felt staff were reliable and punctual. One relative told us,

'The girls are fantastic (care staff) they are so supportive. We had a review last week for my relatives and we are going to have new care plans.'

One relative told us the service was not flexible around meeting the service user's needs at specific times, and where they had valid reasons. They had complained, and the inspector asked for the issues to be looked at again by managers.

There were shortfalls around care planning and aspects of service delivery, and the identification and provision of staff training. The children and young people's part of the service was not well resourced or run properly. Quality monitoring systems were not evident.