Background to this inspection
Updated
6 September 2016
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This inspection visit took place on the 9 and 10 August 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we wanted to make sure staff were available to speak with us. The inspection was carried out by one inspector and an expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
We checked the information we held about the service and the provider. This included notifications the provider had sent to us about significant events at the service and information we had received from the public. We used this to formulate our inspection plan.
The provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
We used a range of different methods to help us understand people’s experiences. We made telephone calls to fourteen people who used the service and two friends and relatives. We visited two people in their homes. We also sent out questionnaires to people who used the service and used this information to make a judgement about the service.
We spoke with four members of care staff and the operations support manager. We looked at care records for nine people to see if their records were accurate and up to date. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service including quality checks.
Updated
6 September 2016
We inspected this service on 9 and 10 August 2016. The service provides care to older people in their own homes. The service is available in the South Staffordshire region. At the time of the inspection 84 people were using the service. The service had not been inspected since registering with us in September 2014.
The service did not have 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.
When people could not make decisions for themselves mental capacity assessments were not always in place and specific to the decision.
People felt safe and when risks to people were identified action was taken to reduce these risks. Staff understood how to recognise and report potential abuse and there were procedures in place to ensure these were followed. Medicines were managed in a safe way and support was offered by staff when needed.
People felt staff were kind and caring towards them and there were enough of them to offer the required support. We found staff received an induction and training that was relevant to support people. People’s privacy and dignity was upheld and staff encouraged people to remind independent. The provider had procedures in place to ensure staffs suitability to work with people.
When needed people were offered support to eat and drink and with to participate in hobbies and pastimes they chose. Staff supported people to make and attend health appointments if requested.
Quality monitoring and spot checks were completed by the provider. This information was used to make improvements to the service. The provider sought the opinions of people who used the service to make improvements for them. Staff felt they were listened to and were given the opportunity to raise any concerns. There was a complaints procedure in place and when complaints had been made the provider had responded to them in line with their policy. The provider understood their responsibilities around registration with us.