On The Spot Homecare Service

Updated 29 September 2018

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 comprehensive inspection was announced and took place on 10 and 17 August 2018. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the information included in the PIR along with information we held about the service, for example, statutory notifications. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law.

We contacted relevant agencies such as the local authority safeguarding team and commissioners. Commissioners are people who work to find appropriate care and support services for people and fund the care provided.

During the inspection, we spoke with five people who use the service, two relatives and three social care professionals by telephone, to gather their feedback about the service. We also visited and spoke with three people in their homes and a friend of a person who used the service.

We looked at a range of documents and records related to people's care and the management of the service. We looked at five care plans, two staff recruitment records, training records, quality assurance audits, minutes of staff meetings, policies and procedures.

Updated 29 September 2018

On The Spot Homecare Service, is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. People being supported are predominantly older people who live in Skipton and the surrounding area. This announced inspection site visit activity started 10 August 2018 and ended 17 August 2018. At the time of our inspection 43 people used the service.

The registered provider and owner of the service, is also the 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.

Not everyone using On The Spot Homecare Service receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

People were protected from the risk of abuse and harm. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood about the types and signs of abuse. Risk assessments identified any potential hazards to their well-being and medicines were administered safely where people needed this support. There were enough staff to meet people's needs and safe recruitment practices helped to prevent unsuitable staff from working at the service. Spot checks were completed to monitor their practice.

Where people needed support with their nutritional needs they were supported to make choices in relation to their food and drink and to maintain good health.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff were kind and caring and people received a service that responded to their needs and any changes in their health or personal circumstances. The care and support people received was person centred and staff maintained people’s dignity and respect. Staff knew people well and understood their preferences, routines and the support they needed to maintain their independence.

People were confident any comments or complaints would be listened to and actions taken to prevent recurrence. Documentation was in place to record accidents and incidents.

There were good working relationships with professionals and staff said the registered manager was approachable and supportive.

Although the manager checked on the quality of the service provided, we have made a recommendation they develop more robust quality assurance systems to ensure the service continually improves.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.