HOME CARING SERVICES

Updated 22 January 2020

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Home Caring Services is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care to people in their homes.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours' notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 2 January and ended on 3 January 2020. We spoke visited the office location on 2 January 2020 and spoke with people and their relatives on the telephone on 3 January 2020.

What we did before inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We also contacted the local authority commissioners for the service, they shared their recent quality audit of the service with us. This information helps support our inspections.

During the inspection

We spoke with one person who used the service and six relatives. We spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager and three care workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people's care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including accidents and incidents were reviewed.

Updated 22 January 2020

About the service

Home Caring Services is a is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people in their own homes. 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. At the time of the inspection the service was providing personal care to 38 people.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Risks to people's health and wellbeing were assessed and regularly reviewed. Staff acted to minimise these risks and keep people safe.

Arrangements were in place to ensure that people received their prescribed medicines safely. Risk assessments were in place for people who managed their own medicines.

Recruitment procedures were in place and there were enough staff on duty to meet people's needs. Staff were satisfied about the training they received. Specialist training was proved when this was needed. Staff knew how to promote choices for people.

People were encouraged to maintain levels of independence by staff who had regard to their likes, dislikes and individualities.

Care was arranged so people's needs were met by a regular group of staff who knew them well. People saw regular staff to promote people's wellbeing and their need for routine.

Care plans contained detailed information with regard to people's support needs and were reviewed regularly. People, and where appropriate their relatives, were involved in the care planning process.

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.

The registered manager showed effective leadership and the service was well run. Audits and checks were in place and accidents and incidents were analysed for any patterns or trends. The results were used to inform improvements to service delivery. Records evidenced good partnership working with the local authority and other professionals and agencies.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 12 May 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was a scheduled inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.