Home Instead

Updated 17 January 2020

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector. An Expert by Experience made telephone calls to people and their relatives. 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 homes.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. We also needed to obtain people’s consent to contact them.

Inspection activity started on 3 December and ended on 4 December 2019.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We sought feedback from the local authority and commissioners who work with the service. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service and seven relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 11 members of staff which included care staff, a care manager, training manager, recruitment manager, registered manager, two of the provider’s directors and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were also reviewed.

Updated 17 January 2020

About the service

Home Instead Senior Care is a domiciliary care agency which provides assistance with personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of this inspection 46 people were receiving support with personal care needs. 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 benefitted from a service which was extremely well-led. People were truly at the heart of everything the service did. People’s views were valued and responded to and were used to shape the service provided. The provider’s ethos of providing a truly caring and compassionate service had been embraced by the whole staff team. Staff were highly motivated and proud of the service. Without exception, people and their relatives praised the service they received and said they would recommend the agency to others. The provider used imaginative approaches to make sure staff training was meaningful and led to positive changes in the care people received. The provider worked with other professionals and organisations to promote positive outcomes for people.

People were supported by staff who were exceptionally caring. Many people told us staff often went over and above their job roles which demonstrated their kindness and consideration for the people they supported.

There was a strong emphasis on ensuring people received care and support which met their needs and preferences. The provider matched staff to people to help them build trusting relationships and share hobbies and interests. The provider and staff worked to reduce loneliness for people and ensured people had access to a range of social opportunities. People felt confident and comfortable to discuss any concerns with staff.

People felt safe with the staff who supported them. Risks to people were monitored and procedures were in place to help keep people safe. People were supported by adequate numbers of staff who were safe to work with them. The provider’s systems protected people from the risk of abuse. People were protected from the risks associated with the control and spread of infection.

People were supported by staff who were well trained and competent in their role. People were assessed before they used the service to ensure their needs and preferences could be met. Staff understood the importance of ensuring people's rights were understood and protected. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People's health care and nutritional needs were monitored and understood by staff.

Rating at last inspection

The service was rated outstanding at our last inspection (report published June 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

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