Medacs Homecare - Bristol

Updated 3 October 2023

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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one 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.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave a short period notice of the inspection to ensure that the registered manager or senior member of staff was available.

Inspection activity started on 15 June 2023 and ended on 23 August 2023. We visited the location’s office on 23 August 2023.

What we did before the inspection

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed all information we held about the service, including notifications. Notifications are information about specific information and events the provider is required to send us by law. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 members of staff based in the office, including the registered manager. We received emailed feedback from 6 members of staff. We spoke with 30 people or relatives of people using the service. We reviewed care plans for 5 people and other records relating to the running of the service such as recruitment information and audits.

Updated 3 October 2023

About the service

Medacs Homecare - Bristol (referred to in report as Medacs) is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 100 people using the service. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People received good care from staff who were kind and caring. People told us they felt safe and staff treated them with dignity and respect.

People were protected from the risk of abuse because staff were trained and understood the signs to be aware of and report. Where concerns did arise, they were investigated and the registered manager worked with the safeguarding teams in the local authority to ensure people were safe. There were individualised risk assessments in place to guide staff in providing support in areas such as mobility, where there was a risk of harm to the person concerned. There were systems in place to support people with their medicines safely.

There were enough staff to ensure people’s care needs were met. Safe recruitment procedures were in place.

Staff received good training and support to enable them to carry out their roles effectively. Staff told us they were satisfied and that the training gave them the skills they needed. New staff to the organisation received an induction and regular meetings and shadow opportunities with established members of staff. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The service was responsive to people’s changing needs and updated people’s care plans accordingly. There was a complaints procedure in place and the registered manager investigated these in accordance with company policy.

The service was well led. Systems were in place to monitor quality and safety and there was a clear management structure supporting the registered manager in their role.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was good (published 26 January 2018). The rating for this inspection has remained good.

Why we inspected

We inspected in order to provide an updated rating for the service

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.