Background to this inspection
Updated
12 May 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 completed by one inspector.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
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 the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. We also needed to gain consent to contact people using the service.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from local commissioners. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with two relatives of people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, clinical lead nurse and four care workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included all three people's care 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, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.
Updated
12 May 2020
About the service
Newcross Healthcare solutions (Norwich) is a new domiciliary care agency providing personal care and support to people living in their own homes in the Norwich and wider area of Norfolk. Their focus is on specialist care for adults and children with complex and life limiting conditions. The provider already acted as an agency providing care staff to other provider’s locally, however this was a separate service and was not included in this inspection. At the time of this inspection three people were receiving a personal care service in their own home.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Feedback from people using the service was positive and all the people we spoke with recommended the service.
People felt safe around the staff who provided their care. Staff understood their role in protecting people from harm and abuse. Care plans and risks assessments were person-centred and detailed. Recruitment practice was thorough and ensured there were enough staff of appropriate character to provide consistent support. Staff were trained in the administration of medicines and infection control measures were in place.
People's individual needs and requirements were assessed with them before their care started. Staff received appropriate induction and training and people said staff were skilled in providing their care. Staff monitored people's health and helped them access health and social care services whenever needed. People were supported to have a balanced diet and assisted effectively with their care needs. 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. However, the policies and recording systems used in the service did not always support this practice. We have made a recommendation about assessing mental capacity.
People described the staff as kind, caring and professional. People were encouraged to actively participate in their care planning and were given opportunities to feedback on the service provided. The staff actively encouraged people's independence and dignity.
The care planning was person-centred and responsive to people's needs and preferences. People had not needed to make complaints but knew how to do so and felt communication with the service was effective. The service worked with people and their community health professionals to plan and provide personalised end of life care.
People felt management and staff at the provider's office were well-organised, approachable and took their views on board. Staff felt well-supported and valued by management. The provider used quality assurance systems and best practice forums to monitor and drive improvement in the quality and safety of people's care.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 15/01/2019 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based upon the service's registration date.
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.