Metro Homecare Ltd

Updated 25 May 2019

The inspection:

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) 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 Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

This announced inspection took place on 29 March 2019. One inspector and three Experts by Experience carried out this inspection. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses a domiciliary care service.

Service and service type:

Metro Homecare Ltd provides care and support to children, adults who are living with a physical disability and adults over 65. At the time of this inspection, 133 people were using the service. Not everyone using the service receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection:

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small, and the registered manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in. Inspection site visit activity started and ended on 29 March 2019. We visited the office location on 29 March 2019 to see the registered manager and office staff; and to review care records, policies and procedures.

What we did:

Before the inspection, we looked at information we held about the service including notifications sent to us. A notification is information about important events, which the service is required to send us by law. 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.

During the inspection:

We spoke with the registered manager, branch manager, five care workers, human resources manager, finance manager and a representative from the learning academy.

We looked at 15 care records and medicine administration records. We also looked at 15 staff records and other documents relating to the management of the service.

After the inspection:

We spoke with 22 people who used the service and 13 relatives. We did not receive feedback from the two health and social care professionals we contacted.

Updated 25 May 2019

About the service:

Metro Homecare Ltd is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes in the community. Children, older adults and younger disabled adults use the service. At the time of this inspection on 29 March 2019, 133 people were using the service.

People's experience of using this service:

People had an assessment of their care and support needs and their views were taken into account.

People went to activities of their choice and staff supported them with this when required.

The registered manager followed established safeguarding processes to protect people and report allegations of abuse.

Staff assessed risks to people's health and wellbeing. Plans to manage and mitigate these risks were developed and implemented to keep people safe.

People were supported with taking medicines. The records used for the management of medicines were audited and completed accurately.

The registered manager employed suitably experienced staff by following the provider’s recruitment processes.

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.

People and their relatives gave positive feedback about the service. People said they were happy about the level of care and support they received.

People said staff showed them kindness and were respectful when delivering care and support while protecting their dignity and privacy

.

People and their relatives contributed to their care assessments and reviews of their needs.

People and relatives said the management of the service was well-led and staff were responsive to their care needs.

There were systems in place for monitoring and reviewing the quality of the service. Actions were implemented where improvements were needed.

Staff were happy working for the service and were complimentary about the registered manager who supported them in their jobs.

Rating at last inspection: At the last inspection on 1 and 3 November 2017, the service was rated overall Requires Improvement. (Report published on 19 March 2018). We asked the provider to send us a plan to describe how they would improve each key question of Effective, Caring and Well-led to at least Good. At this inspection action had been taken to improve the ratings to Good.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating of the service at the last inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.