Background to this inspection
Updated
12 March 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 CQC. 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 someone would be in the office to support the inspection. We also needed to obtain people's consent to contact them.
Inspection activity started on 10 February 2020 and ended on 14 February 2020.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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 contacted the local authority for their feedback about the service.
During the inspection
We spoke with 12 people and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eight members of staff which included the registered manager, regional manager and care support staff. We reviewed a range of records, including six people's care records and medicines documentation. We looked at four staff files, recruitment records, supervisions, appraisals and training. We reviewed records relating to the management of the service and quality assurance checks.
Updated
12 March 2020
About the service
Comfort Call - Scarborough is a domiciliary care agency which provides assistance with personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of this inspection 69 people were receiving support with personal care needs.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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 told us they felt safe with the staff who supported them. Staff understood how to protect people from avoidable harm and abuse. Where risks to people had been identified, assessments were in place to minimise these. People received their medicines when they needed them.
Staff received training, supervision and appraisal which supported them in their role. People told us they received their care on time and staff were able to meet their needs. Staff received training to prevent and control the spread of infections. Staff understood person-centred care and how to best support people in line with their choices and preferences.
People's needs were assessed before services commenced, to ensure their needs and preferences could be met. Staff understood and respected people’s rights. 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 dietary requirements were monitored by staff and advice sought from health professionals when needed.
People told us staff were caring and understanding. People were treated with respect and staff maintained people’s dignity and privacy. People were fully involved in decisions about the care they received. People's communication needs were assessed, and guidance recorded in care files to support staff. Alternative formats were available if needed. People knew how to complain and were confident their concerns would be dealt with professionally.
The management team supported an open and honest working culture. They actively encouraged people and their relatives to provide feedback about the service. When things went wrong the provider informed people's representatives and adopted a transparent approach to their investigations. Lessons were learnt and shared with the staff team to improve their knowledge. Effective systems were in place to monitor and improve the quality of care people received.
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 13 February 2019 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the provider’s registration.
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.