Archived: Linford Homecare

Updated 4 October 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 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 24 and 25 August 2017 and was announced. We provided 48 hours’ notice of the inspection because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure staff would be available for us to talk to, and that records would be accessible.

The inspection was undertaken by one inspector.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also checked the information we held about the service and the provider and saw that no recent concerns had been raised.

We spoke with seven people who used the service and two relatives. We also spoke with seven staff that included the registered manager, three team leaders, two support workers and the administrator.

We looked at the care records for four people who used the service to see if they were reflective of their current needs. We reviewed six staff recruitment and training files and four weeks of staff duty rotas. We also looked at further records relating to the management of the service, including quality audits and service user feedback, in order to ensure that robust quality monitoring systems were in place.

Updated 4 October 2017

This first comprehensive inspection took place on 24 and 25 August 2017 and was announced.

Linford Homecare provides personal care for adults with learning and physical disabilities and older people, including people living with dementia. At the time of our visit there were 12 people using the service.

The service had a registered manager. 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.

People's experiences of care were overwhelmingly positive. They told us they were supported by very kind, caring and compassionate staff that often went the extra mile to provide people with exceptional care. The staff were extremely passionate about providing people with support that was based on their individual needs, goals and aspirations.

People's care was personalised so that each person's support reflected their preferences. We saw that people were at the centre of their care and found clear evidence that their care and support was planned with them and not for them. Each person was treated as an individual and as a result their care was tailored to meet their exact needs.

There was a strong culture within the service of treating people with dignity and respect. The staff and the registered manager were always available and listened to people and their relatives/friends, offered them choices and made them feel that they mattered.

People felt safe and were protected from the risk of avoidable harm. Staff were knowledgeable about the risks of abuse and there were suitable systems in place for recording, reporting and investigating incidents. Risks to people’s safety had been assessed and staff used these to assist people to remain as independent as possible. There were sufficient staff employed to meet the range of care and support needs of people who used the service. Staff had been recruited using effective recruitment processes so that people were kept safe and free from harm. Medicines were administered, handled and recorded safely.

Staff were knowledgeable about the needs of the individual people they cared for. They attended a variety of training to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. They were further supported with supervision by senior staff. People who used the service were encouraged to make their own decisions and staff followed the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People could make choices about their food and drink. They were provided with support when required to prepare meals if this was an assessed part of their package of care. Prompt action was taken in response to illness or changes in people’s physical and mental health. They were supported to access health care professionals when required.

People's needs were assessed prior to them being provided with care and support. People received a personalised service which met their individual needs and there was an emphasis on each person's identity and what was important to them. Care plans were detailed, person centred and updated on a regular basis, or as and when people's care needs changed. Through continuous review any changes in people’s needs were quickly identified and their care package amended accordingly. The service was flexible and any additional support was provided where necessary.

People knew how to make a complaint. There was a complaints procedure in place which was accessible to all. Complaints had been responded to swiftly and in line with the organisations complaints procedure.

The registered manager demonstrated a good understanding of the importance of effective governance processes. There were quality monitoring systems and processes in place to make positive changes, drive future improvement and identify where action needed to be taken. There was an open culture and a clear vision and values and staff told us they were proud to work for the service.