Archived: Synergy Homecare - St Helens

At the time of our inspection the service was providing packages of care to 29 people and employed 14 staff.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community [and specialist housing]. It provides a service to older adults and younger disabled adults.

This was the registered providers first inspection at this location.

Synergy Homecare St Helens, is registered to provide personal care to people in their own homes.

There was a registered manager in post.

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.

Staff were able to describe the process they would follow to report actual or potential abuse, this mostly consisted of reporting the abuse to the line manager. The service had a safeguarding policy in place, which we viewed and staff we spoke with told us they were aware of the policy. Safeguarding training took place as part of the induction for new staff and was refreshed every year.

Staff recruitment records showed that staff were safely recruited after a series of checks were undertaken on their character and work history.

Risk assessments were in place and were reviewed regularly or when people's needs changed. Risk assessments contained details of how to support the person appropriately, while mitigating risk. They were instructive and clear.

Staff were supplied with personal protective equipment (PPE). This included gloves, aprons and hand sanitizer. Staff we spoke with told us they were always able to ask for more PPE when needed. Staff had completed infection control and prevention training, and understood the importance of reporting outbreaks of flu and vomiting to the manager, so they could cover their work so as not to spread the infection.

People were supported with their medication in accordance with their assessed needs and in line with recent guidance.

The registered manager and the staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and associated legislation.

People were supported as part of their assessed care needs with eating and drinking and staff were aware of people’s preferences.

Staff undertook training in accordance with the providers training policy. Staff told us they enjoyed the training. Staff spoken with confirmed they had regular supervision and appraisal.

Additional role specific training took place to help people manage their support needs. This training was overseen by a registered nurse who assessed staff competency once they had attended the training.

Staff supported people to access other healthcare professionals such as GP’s and District Nurses if they felt unwell.

People told us that the carers who visited were all very caring and would always ask them how they are feeling and ask them what they would like help with.

People we spoke with were complimentary about the caring nature of the staff and we received positive comments about the registered provider in general.

People told us that they were always kept informed and involved in their care.

We did not observe care being delivered, however, people told us staff were kind and caring in their approach.

Care plans contained detailed information about people, what their preferences were and how they liked their care to be conducted. Information in care plans was regularly reviewed and updated in line with people’s needs. This meant that the registered provider was responsive to people’s needs and preferences.

Complaints were investigated in line with the complaints procedure and responded to appropriately.

Audits took place which checked service provision and action plans were implemented to improve practice.

Feedback was gathered from people using the service and people told us they felt that the registered manager had responded to their comments. Feedback was conducted every few months over the telephone, and annual audits were due to be completed.

Team meetings took place, and we viewed minutes of these.