My Care at Home Limited provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes. When we inspected on 27 January 2016 there were 45 people using the service.
This was an announced inspection. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to know that someone would be available.
There was no registered manager at My Care at Home. 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. A manager had been appointed by the provider to run the service and was in the process of registering with the CQC.
People we spoke with including their relatives were complimentary about the care provided. They told us they received safe and effective care by care workers who were kind and compassionate.
Systems were in place which safeguarded the people who used the service from the potential risk of abuse. Care workers knew how to recognise and report any suspicions of abuse. They understood their roles and responsibilities in keeping people safe and actions were taken when they were concerned about people’s safety.
There were procedures and processes in place to ensure the safety of the people who used the service. These included risk assessments which identified how the risks to people were minimised.
Where people required assistance to take their medicines there were arrangements in place to provide this support safely.
There were sufficient numbers of care workers who had been recruited safely and who had the skills and knowledge to provide care and support to people in the way they preferred. Care workers respected people’s privacy and dignity and interacted with them in a caring and compassionate manner.
People received care and support which was planned and delivered to meet their specific needs. People and/or their representatives, where appropriate, were involved in making decisions about their care and support arrangements.
Where required people were safely supported with their dietary needs. Where care workers had identified concerns in people’s wellbeing there were systems in place to contact health and social care professionals to make sure they received appropriate care and treatment.
There was an open and transparent culture in the service. The management team demonstrated effective leadership skills and care workers said they felt valued and supported. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities in providing safe and good quality care to the people who used the service.
There was a complaints procedure in place and people knew how to voice their concerns if they were unhappy with the care they received. People’s feedback was valued and acted on. The service had a quality assurance system with identified shortfalls addressed promptly; this helped the service to continually improve.