City Care Services

Updated 19 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 announced inspection took place on 04 and 05 October 2017. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the registered managers are sometimes out of the office supporting staff or visiting people who use the service and we needed to be sure that they would be in. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection we looked at all of the information that we had about the agency. This included information from notifications received by us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law. Before the inspection the registered manager completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that gives the provider an opportunity to provide key information about the service, what it does well and improvements they plan to make. We took the information in the PIR into account when we made judgements in this report.

During the inspection we visited the services’ office and spoke with the registered managers, two coordinators, the ‘live in’ team leader, training coordinator and eight care staff. We spoke with 23 people using the service and four relatives by telephone. We also spoke with a pharmacist, a care manager, a social worker from the discharge and planning team and contacted a local surgery to gain their views about how people were being supported.

We looked at five people’s care records and records in relation to the management of the service and the management of staff.

Updated 19 October 2017

City Care Services is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. There were 123 people receiving personal care from the service when we visited. Personal care calls were being provided along with 24 hour live in care packages.

At the last inspection on 27 August 2015 the service was rated as ‘Good’. At this inspection we found the service remained ‘Good’.

Two registered managers were in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 received training to protect people from harm and reporting any suspected harm. There were a sufficient number of staff employed and recruitment procedures ensured that only suitable staff were employed. Risk assessments were in place and actions were taken to reduce these risks. Arrangements were in place to ensure that people were supported and protected with the safe management of their medicines.

The CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) Appropriate procedures were in place and staff were supported and trained regarding the MCA

People were supported to access healthcare professionals and they were provided with opportunities to increase their levels of independence. Health risk assessments were in place to ensure that people were supported to maintain their health. People had adequate amounts of food and drink to meet their individual preferences and nutritional needs where appropriate.

People told us that their privacy and dignity was respected and their care and support was provided in a caring and a cheerful manner.

A complaints procedure was in place and complaints had been responded to, to the satisfaction of the complainant. People could raise concerns with the management team and care staff at any time.

There were quality assurance processes and procedures in place to improve, if needed, the quality and safety of people’s support and care. People and their relatives were able to have their say in relation to the support and care provided and staff acted on what they were told.

There were links with the external community. A staff training and development programme was in place and procedures were in place to review the standard of staff members’ work performance.

Further information is in the detailed findings below