Honest Senior Care

Updated 17 November 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

One inspector and an Expert by Experience undertook the inspection. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 72 hours' notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

Prior to the inspection we checked the information we held about the service and sought feedback from the local authority. We also used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 2 people and 3 relatives for their feedback on the quality of care provided. We spoke with 5 staff including a supervisor and 4 care staff. We also spoke with a director of the provider company.

We looked at a range of records. These included 3 care records and associated documentation. We also reviewed 2 staff files, training records as well as records relating to the operation and oversight of the service.

Updated 17 November 2023

About the service

Honest Senior Care is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 10 people using the service. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. 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

People and their relatives had no concerns about staff keeping them safe. Staff understood their role in mitigating risks to people’s health and wellbeing and reporting any concerns. People received support from a consistent staff team who knew their needs, routines and preferences well. Staff had received training in safe medicines practices and understood how to reduce the risks of infections spreading.

People's care and support was planned with them to ensure it achieved effective outcomes. Staff told us the induction, training and support they received gave them confidence in their role. The provider encouraged staff to take further qualifications in health and social care. People were supported to eat and drink if this was part of their planned care. Where a need was identified, the provider supported people to access other healthcare services to help them achieve their goals and improve their outcomes.

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.

People were treated with care and their privacy, dignity and independence was supported. The provider promoted an ethos of encouraging relationships of trust and understanding to develop between people and the staff providing their care.

People's care plans described their personal histories, needs, preferences and interests to support staff in meeting people's individual needs. The provider understood the importance of effective communication and the requirements of the Accessible Information Standards.

The provider was enthusiastic in their aim to provide quality care to people and this enthusiasm was shared by the staff team. Staff spoke of an open and transparent environment where learning was encouraged and their feedback was listened to. There were systems and audits to check the safety and effectiveness of the service and regulatory requirements were met. The provider told us they would continue to develop their systems in response to any changes or growth within the service.

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

Rating at last inspection

The service was registered with us on 12 September 2022 and this is their first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the date the service was first registered with the CQC.

Follow Up

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