6 October 2016
During a routine inspection
This inspection took place on 6 and 7 October 2016. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice of the inspection because the service provides domiciliary care and we needed to be sure the registered manager was available. This was the first inspection of the service.
Loyalcare Recruitment Agency is a care agency that provides care and support to five adults, with varying needs, in their homes.
The service has a registered manager. 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 told us they felt safe and secure with this service. Staff had attended safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities. Risk assessments reflected people’s needs and supported staff to provide safe and appropriate care and support. There were sufficient numbers of suitable staff to meet people’s needs. Staff went through an appropriate recruitment process before being employed. People’s medicines were administered safely.
Staff received regular training and management support. Training included an induction process for new members of staff and refresher training for existing staff. Training, management supervisions and appraisals took place periodically. Staff had completed Mental Capacity Act training and the service was working within the principles of the Act. People who were able to do so consented to their care and support.
People and relatives told us staff were caring and treated them with dignity and respect. The service supported people to express their views and to be involved in planning their care and support. Staff respected people’s dignity and privacy and encouraged people to be as independent as they wanted to be. Staff encouraged and enabled people to make choices and respected people’s preferences.
The service was responsive to people’s needs. People’s needs were assessed before the service started providing care and support. Care and support plans were person centred and identified needs, goals and preferences. The service encouraged feedback from people and their representatives about their experiences of the service. The service had an appropriate system for dealing with complaints.
People, relatives and staff spoke positively about the registered manager. There were systems to obtain feedback from staff which included staff meetings. Any accidents or incidents were reviewed by the registered manager to identify and implement any learning or improvements. There were systems and processes to monitor and assess the quality of service provided. Records were accurate, up to date, accessible and fit for purpose.