About the service HomeTouch Care Ltd is a domiciliary care agency that provides care and support to people in their own home. The service supports people who have dementia, mental health and physical disabilities, through a live-in care service. The service operates across a number of geographic areas across England.
HomeTouch Care Ltd provided two models of care. An Introductory care model where the service introduces people using the service to private carers. However, the service did not manage the carers and the support they provided. This aspect of the service was not regulated by CQC.
The second model of care was a service fully managed by HomeTouch Care Ltd and was regulated by the CQC. At the time of our visit there were 54 people receiving a regulated service, which means they were receiving support with 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 told us they were happy with the care and support they received because they felt safe and all their needs were met by kind and caring staff.
Risks to people's health and wellbeing were assessed and risks mitigated. On the day of the inspection visit we found some gaps in risk assessments. But by the time of writing this report, these had been addressed. The service reviewed their risk assessment document to incorporate environmental assessments, had expanded on these and so these identified and reduced any environmental risks to people and staff.
Care records were personalised and set out people’s needs and how they liked to be supported, as well people’s history and what was important to them.
Recruitment practices were safe and relevant checks had been completed before staff worked at the service. The service employed experienced staff for the live-in care role. Staff received initial training in key areas before beginning working with people. People received their medicines safely by suitably trained staff.
Staff underwent regular supervision and checks of the service they were providing. They understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the importance of gaining consent from people. We found there were some gaps in mental capacity assessments, but these were addressed by the service at the time of writing this report.
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.
Staff and relatives told us that the service was well managed. The registered manager had oversight of staff performance. People and relatives knew how to raise concerns and complaints about the service. The managers dealt with received complaints promptly.
Since the last inspection the service had grown significantly. The management team were in the process of improving their quality assurance systems to ensure that the service provided was of good quality across all geographic areas they covered.
The management team were aware of their regulatory responsibilities, and had notified CQC and other stakeholders appropriately.
The service sought feedback about the service from people, relatives, staff and external professionals. Feedback from surveys as well as information gathered from quality audits complaints, accidents and incidents and safeguarding concerns, was used to introduce changes and improve the service provided.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good, (published 19 November 2019).
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.