Archived: Care Outlook (Battersea)

Updated 26 May 2017

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.

The inspection took place on 12 and 13 April 2017 and was conducted by one inspector. The inspection was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of our inspection as we wanted to be sure that someone would be available.

Prior to the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service and we contacted a representative from the local authority safeguarding team.

We spoke with 11 people using the service and three relatives of people using the service. During our visit we spoke with the registered manager, the quality monitoring officer who conducted spot checks and six care workers. We also looked at a sample of 11 people’s care records, five staff records and records related to the management of the service.

Updated 26 May 2017

We conducted an announced inspection of Care Outlook on 12 and 13 April 2017. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice to ensure the key people we needed to speak with were available. At our last comprehensive inspection on 9 December 2014 we found the provider was meeting the regulations we checked.

Care Outlook provides care and support to people living in their own homes. There were 112 people using the service when we visited.

There was a registered manager at the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

Risk assessments and care plans contained enough information for care staff. All records were reviewed within six months or sooner if people’s needs changed.

Care staff assisted people to take their medicines safely. Care workers told us they had completed medicines administration training and understood how to safely administer medicines.

Safeguarding adults from abuse procedures were robust and staff understood how to safeguard people they supported. Staff had received safeguarding adults training and were able to explain the possible signs of abuse as well as the correct procedure to follow if they had concerns.

Staff demonstrated a good level of knowledge about their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. However, care records did not always demonstrate that people were provided with care in accordance with their valid consent.

Staff demonstrated an understanding of people’s life histories and current circumstances and supported people to meet their individual needs in a caring way. Care records contained enough information about people’s needs and preferences.

Recruitment procedures ensured that only staff who were suitable, worked within the service. There was a detailed induction programme for new staff, which prepared them for their role.

Care workers were provided with appropriate training to help them carry out their duties. Care workers received regular supervision and appraisals of their performance. There were enough staff employed to meet people’s needs and visits were appropriately arranged to ensure people’s needs were met.

Care workers supported people to maintain a balanced nutritious diet where this formed part of the package of care being provided to them. People were supported effectively with their health needs, when needed and were supported to access a range of healthcare professionals.

People using the service and staff gave positive feedback about the registered manager and told us they provided feedback about the service. They knew how to make complaints and told us they felt listened to and there was a complaints policy and procedure in place.

The organisation had effective systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. The registered manager reviewed various areas of the service on a regular basis. Information was reported to the CQC as required.