We carried out a review of the data available to us about Helpful Home Care LTD on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Helpful Home Care LTD, you can give feedback on this service.
Helpful Home Care LTD is a domiciliary agency that provides care and support to people living in their own accommodation. 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 nutrition. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of this inspection the service was supporting 19 people with personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The service was small and personalised. The registered manager knew all the people using the service and their relatives and was in regular contact with them, to ensure they were satisfied with the care and support provided. People told us the service achieved excellent outcomes for them. The staff were happy working at the service and the registered manager was supportive of them.
People were safe using the service as the staff were competent and well-trained. Staff knew what to do to keep people safe and reduce risk to them. They assisted people with their medicines to ensure they had them safely and on time. They understood infection control and used aprons and gloves when assisting people.
Managers met and assessed people before they used the service to ensure their needs could be met. Staff ensured people had access to healthcare services and were trained in medical emergencies and first aid. They supported some people to eat and drink. 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 staff were kind, caring and compassionate. People had regular care workers who they got to know well. Staff communicated well with people’s families and representatives and let them know how people were getting on and if there were any concerns about them. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity and were respectful and polite.
People’s calls were on time and care workers ensured people’s needs were met in the way they wanted. The multilingual staff team catered for people from different cultural backgrounds and understood how best to communicate with them. Information was available to people in accessible formats, for example large print.
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 inspection of this service was carried out on 19 October 2016 and the rating was Good.
Why we inspected
This was a planned 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.
The service had 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 that they felt safe when staff supported them and that there were enough staff to meet their needs.
Risk assessments were in place which set out how to support people in a safe manner. The service had safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures in place. Staff were aware of their responsibilities in these areas.
People were supported by a consistent group of staff who had the skills they needed to meet people's needs and individualpreferences. People received any support they required to take their prescribed medicines safely when they needed to.
When people started to use the service a care plan was developed that included information about their support needs, likes, dislikes and preferences. This meant that staff had the relevant information to meet people’s needs.
People were supported by staff who had been given sufficient training to provide them with the knowledge and skills to provide appropriate care and support.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors the use of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The provider was aware of the principles of the MCA and how this might affect the care they provided to people. People were asked to provide their consent to the care being provided.
People received the assistance they required to have enough to eat and drink and people were supported to make appropriate referrals to health care professionals
when needed.
People were able to express their views on their care and were treated as they wished to be in a respectful manner. People who used the service, or their representatives, were encouraged to contribute to the planning of their care.
People who used the service, or their representatives, were encouraged to be involved in decisions and systems were in place to monitor the quality of service provision. People also felt they could report any concerns to the management team and felt they would be taken seriously.