Background to this inspection
Updated
2 September 2017
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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 24 and 26 July and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to make sure someone would be in the office. We were assisted over the two days of our inspection by the provider and by the manager.
Before the inspection we looked at all the information we had collected about the service. This included notifications the provider had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law.
As part of the inspection we spoke with the provider and recently appointed manager. We also spoke with two care coordinators, three members of the care team and the quality director. We spoke with five people who use the service and two relatives and received feedback from a social care professional.
We looked at records relating to the management of the service including five people's care plans, risk assessments, daily notes and medicines administration records. We also looked at 10 staff recruitment files, training and support records, policies, complaints log and accident/incident records.
Updated
2 September 2017
The service had a manager who was in the process of registering 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 manager and provider were present and assisted us during the inspection.
People were protected from risks to their health and wellbeing and were protected from the risk of abuse. Safe recruitment practices were followed before new staff were employed to work with people. Checks were made to ensure staff were of good character and suitable for their role.
Staff received training and supervision to enable them to do their jobs safely and to a good standard.
People were treated with respect and their privacy and dignity was promoted. People said their care workers were kind and caring. Staff were responsive to the needs of the people they supported and enabled them to maintain their independence as much as possible.
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. We have made a recommendation about improving communication detail within peoples care plans to protect and support their rights to make their own decisions.
People received support that was individualised to their specific needs and reflected their likes, dislikes and preferences. People's equality and diversity needs were identified and incorporated into their care plans. Their needs were monitored and care plans reviewed regularly or as changes occurred. People's health and well-being was assessed with measures put in place to ensure people's needs were met in a person centred way.
Medicines were managed well and staff handling medicines were only allowed to do so after completing their training and being assessed as competent. Where included in their care package, people were supported to eat and drink enough.
People benefitted from receiving a service that was managed well. Quality assurance systems were in place and being reviewed by the manager to improve the quality of monitoring the care and support being delivered and the running of the service.