Archived: Arch Domiciliary Care Services

Updated 9 August 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.

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 took place on 23 June 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be at the office.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

We looked at information sent to us from people who used the service, their relatives and the local authority that funded people’s care. We looked at the information we held about the service, which included the provider’s statement of purpose and ‘notifications’. A statement of purpose is a document which includes a standard required set of information about a service. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

We spoke with two people who used the service. We also spoke with the registered manager, provider, care manager and two care staff. We looked at the care records of two people who used the service, which included their support plans, risk assessments and records relating to their daily wellbeing and health. We looked at the staff recruitment files for three care staff and a nurse; staff training information and records relating to the management of the service such as the complaints, compliments, policies, procedures and quality assurance information.

We asked the provider to send us information in relation to their medicines policy and procedure, staff meeting minutes and quality assurance audits. This was sent to us in a timely manner.

Updated 9 August 2016

This inspection took place on 23 June 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be at the office.

Arch Domiciliary Care Services is a domiciliary care service providing care and support to people living in their own homes. The office is based in the city of Leicester and the service currently provides care and support to people living in Leicester. At the time of our inspection there were two people using the service.

A registered manager was in post. 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.

The provider had quality assurance systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. However, there was a lack proactive management with regards to the effective use of the internal audits and checks to assess the quality of service provided. Improvements were needed to ensure the registered manager and provider identified and addressed any areas of concerns or weakness, so that people received a safe and reliable service.

People’s views about the care provided was sought regularly. Satisfaction surveys were due to be sent out to people who used the service, care staff and health and social care professionals. The provider told us the results would be used to develop the service.

People told us they felt safe with the care staff who supported them and they were happy with the service provided. Staff were trained and understood their responsibility in protecting people from the risk of harm.

Potential risk to people’s health had been assessed and measures were in place to manage these risk. People were supported by trained staff to take their medicines.

There were sufficient numbers of staff employed including nurses who had undergone a robust recruitment process and had received training to enable them to meet people’s needs in a timely manner. People received care from care staff who were trained and supervised to fulfil their role effectively.

People were involved in making decisions about their care needs and in the development of their care plan. Care staff sought consent before they provided support and staff respected people’s choices and decisions. Records showed that the provider followed the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA 2005) and ensured that people consented to their care and support.

Care staff supported some people with their meals and drinks. Records showed people were supported to maintain their health and accessed appropriate medical care when required.

People told us that they were happy with the support they received and the care staff. People were complimentary about the care staff and found them to be kind and caring and had developed positive relationships with them. People’s privacy and dignity was maintained, their choice of lifestyle was respected and their independence was promoted.

There was a complaints procedure and people knew how to use it. People were confident that any concerns raised would be responded listened to and acted on.