Archived: Enthuse Care

Updated 1 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 was 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 1 August 2018. We gave the provider 24 hours' notice of our visit so we could be sure the registered manager would be in the office.

The inspection team comprised an inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

We reviewed information we had about the service before the inspection. This included previous inspection reports, notifications and 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. Notifications are information about certain events providers are required to tell us about by law.

We spoke with five people who used the service or their family members. We reviewed feedback from a questionnaire we sent to people, their families and involved health and social care professionals.

We spoke with the owner, the registered manager, the business manager, and six members of staff.

We looked at the care plans and associated records of seven people, including their medicines administration records and client visit logs. We reviewed other records, including the provider’s policies and procedures, meeting minutes, internal checks and audits, quality assurance survey returns and reports, induction, training and supervision records, and recruitment records. We saw records of spot checks, safeguarding referrals, complaints and compliments.

Updated 1 September 2018

This inspection took place on 1 August 2018. We gave the provider 24 hours’ notice of the inspection to make sure the registered manager would be available to speak with us.

At our last inspection on 3 March 2017, we found a breach of regulation relating to guidance available to staff about how to support people safely. We found improvements were needed in a total of three key areas. Following that inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key question effective to at least good.

At this inspection we found improvements had been made in all key areas, and the provider was meeting the fundamental standards required by regulations.

Enthuse Care is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It is registered to provide a service to people with a range of social care needs. These include older people, younger adults, and people living with dementia, mental health needs, physical disability and sensory impairment.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with 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.

The provider had arrangements in place to protect people from risks to their safety and welfare, including the risks of avoidable harm and abuse. Staffing levels were sufficient to support people safely and in line with their agreed care visits. Recruitment processes were in place to make sure the provider only employed workers who were suitable to work in a care setting. There were arrangements in place to protect people from risks associated with the management of medicines and the spread of infection.

Care and support were based on detailed assessments and care plans, which were reviewed and kept up to date. Staff received appropriate training and supervision to maintain and develop their skills and knowledge to support people according to their needs. Where appropriate, people were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain their health and welfare. People were supported to access healthcare services, such as GPs.

Care workers had developed caring relationships with people they supported. People were supported to take part in decisions about their care and treatment, and their views were listened to. Staff respected people’s independence, privacy, and dignity.

People’s care and support took into account people’s abilities, needs and preferences, and reflected their physical, emotional and social needs. The provider arranged events for people at their office which kept them in touch with the wider community. People were kept aware of the provider’s complaints procedure, and complaints were managed in a professional manner.

The provider had a clear vision and strategy, which was shared with staff. Systems were in place to make sure the service was managed efficiently and to monitor, assess, sustain and improve the quality of service provided.