The Care Quality Commission
  • Services in your home
  • Homecare service

Sublime Care

Overall: Requires improvement read more about inspection ratings

Access Self Storage, Office 210, 160 Bromley Road, London, SE6 2NZ (020) 3829 5941

Provided and run by:
Sublime Care UK Ltd

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

Sublime Care is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care and support to people including people with learning disabilities and/or autistic people living in their own homes. At the time of the assessment 64 people were receiving personal care. Assessment activity started on 11 April 2024 and we continued to review information submitted by the provider until 6 June 2024. During the inspection we spoke with the registered manager, the operations manager, a field supervisor, a care coordinator and 5 care workers. We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessment and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it. Right Support: Despite most people’s experience of care being positive the provider’s processes were not always in line with best practice. Risks to people’s health and wellbeing were not always managed well and the provider did not always make the necessary referrals to external agencies when risks were identified. Right Care: Staff told us and care records showed people received person-centred care and their privacy and dignity was upheld. There were processes in place to assess people’s capacity in line with the MCA. Right Culture: The provider had a range of processes in place to gather feedback from people and staff. There were monitoring and auditing processes in place, however, these were not always effective as they had not identified all the issues we found. We have identified breaches in relation to risk management, management of medicines and good governance. We will ask the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

22 May 2018

During a routine inspection

We conducted an inspection of Sublime Care on 22 May 2018. This was our first inspection of the service since it was registered in June 2017.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care for people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to people of all ages. At the time of the inspection they were supporting eight people. Not everyone using Sublime Care receives a 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.

There was a registered manager at the service. 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 care records contained a good level of information about their medical histories. People were supported with their nutritional needs where this formed part of their package of care.

The provider’s quality assurance systems supported the delivery of good care. The registered manager sought people’s feedback in relation to the care they were receiving and conducted regular, unannounced spot checks of service delivery.

Staff were aware of their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Care records were signed by people using the service to demonstrate that they consented to their care.

The provider had an appropriate safeguarding policy and procedure in place. Care staff had a good understanding of how to meet their responsibilities to safeguard people from abuse.

People and their relatives gave good feedback about care workers. Care workers supported people to live as independently as they wanted and ensured that their privacy and dignity was respected.

Risk assessments and support plans contained enough information for care workers to mitigate known risks and provide safe care.

Care staff knew the needs and preferences of people they supported. They developed good relationships and supported them to meet their social needs when possible.

People and their relatives were involved in the creation and implementation of their care plan.

The provider practiced safer recruitment procedures to help ensure that staff were suitable to work with people. The registered manager ensured there were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff to meet people’s needs.

The provider had an appropriate complaints procedure in place. Care staff were given appropriate support through training and supervisions to meet people’s needs. The provider had an appropriate induction process for new care staff.