Archived: Domiciliary Care Agency

We gave the manager short notice of our inspection. On the day of our inspection there were 10 people who used the service, who were supported by 13 staff. We talked with the manager and both deputy managers. We looked in detail at the care records for three people. We spoke on the telephone to one person who used the service and another person’s relative. We looked at five staff records and we spoke with two members of staff. We did this to give us an overview of the experiences that people had, to determine the standard of care provided and the satisfaction of the people who used the service. Our conversations with people helped us to answer our five questions we always ask.

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary describes the records we looked at and what people using the service and staff told us.

If you want to see the evidence that supports our summary, please read the full report.

The detailed evidence supporting our summary can be read in our full report.

Is the service safe?

People we spoke with told us that they felt safe with the staff that supported them. One person told us, “They are on the ball. They work well with the multi-disciplinary team.’’ All the staff that we spoke with confirmed that they had received training on how to protect people and understood what safeguarding people meant. In addition staff received updated training when required.

We saw that people had an assessment of their needs and associated risks. A plan of care was completed which enabled staff to offer care and support to people in a safe way.

All the people we spoke with told us they were happy with the care they received and would speak with the office staff if they had any concerns. All of the staff spoken with were able to tell us about the needs of the people they were supporting. One staff member told us, “I read all the care plans before I did any shadowing. I know what I’m doing.” Staff spoken with understood about people making decisions and how to respect rights. For example, supporting people to make choices about their care.

Is the service effective?

People spoken with told us, and records sampled showed, that they had been involved in an assessment of their needs and were able to tell staff what support they needed. One person told us, “I do feel involved in my care. They’re doing things more as I wanted.” We saw that people who received care and support from the agency had a care plan. Records we looked at had been reviewed on a regular basis, or earlier if required.

We viewed records which showed us training and development was provided to staff to enable them to deliver support safely and to an appropriate standard. All staff spoken with were able to tell us how they supported people and gave them choices about their care. All staff told us they asked people what they wanted at each call. People confirmed that staff always asked them what they wanted. People spoken with told us that they were supported by the same staff on most care calls which meant people received continuity of care from staff they felt comfortable with.

Is the service caring?

People we spoke with were happy with the care and support provided by the agency. People told us that the service engaged with them to ensure that their needs and wishes were met. A relative told us staff were caring and kind. They said, “I know my daughter is happy with all her carers, I can see she’s just happy with it all.”

We saw from daily records sampled that where staff had concerns about people’s health, additional support was provided or other health care professionals were made aware and advice sought. We saw that reviews of peoples care needs were completed to ensure that the service provided to them met their needs.

Is the service responsive?

People told us that they could contact the office if they needed to. One person said, “The come on time, everything works well.” People that we spoke with told us they were happy with the service and had not needed to make any complaints.

All of the people told us that staff did what they wanted them to do. They told us that if their care workers were going to be late they were kept informed either by the care staff or the office.

Records sampled showed that there were systems in place to gather the views of people so that the service was developed taking into consideration the views of staff and people who used the service.

Is the service well led?

Staff felt supported and records we reviewed confirmed that staff were appropriately trained. We saw that the service had a staffing structure that enabled the service to be managed appropriately. This included a manager that had been registered with us and was responsible for the running of the service. We found that staff and people could always contact a senior member of staff if they had any concerns. People were consulted about the quality of service they received.

Staff told us they were clear about their roles and responsibilities and took part in staff meetings. Staff had a good understanding of the ethos of the service and quality assurance processes were in place. This helped to ensure that people received a good quality service at all times.

Records showed that regular spot checks on staff practices were carried out by senior staff. This involved supervising staff to ensure safe care practices. Records showed that training was regular and up to date. This ensured that people received care from staff that were suitably skilled to deliver care.

There were seven people using the service at the time of our inspection. We spoke with three relatives of people using the service by telephone. We also spoke with three members of staff and the registered provider.

People were confident that staff had the appropriate knowledge and skills to meet their needs and described them as professional, well mannered, thoughtful, friendly and caring.

We found that people’s needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan. We were informed people were treated with care and compassion and the staff responded well to their needs. One person told us, “Absolutely brilliant, I can't fault it in anyway. The staff are on time and reliable. They have never let us down and are a breath of fresh air.”

Staff received appropriate training, supervision and appraisal. People using the service and the staff told us there was sufficient training to ensure that people’s needs were understood and met.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. Improvements in relation to auditing processes, record keeping and risk assessments were needed.