8 February 2016
During a routine inspection
We carried out this inspection on 8 February 2016.
Compass Care provides personal care to people in their own homes. The service specialises in supporting older and younger adults including people living with dementia, learning disabilities, mental health conditions, physical disabilities, and sensory impairments. The service is available to people who are tenants of Asra Housing Association Limited.
At the time of our inspection there were 5 people using the service.
The service did not have a registered manager. This is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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. The manager in post told us she had submitted her application to CQC to become the service’s next registered manager.
People told us they felt safe using the service and trusted the staff. Staff knew how to safeguard the people using the service. The provider’s safeguarding policy emphasised that ‘safeguarding is everyone’s business’ and put people’s wellbeing at the heart of their care and support systems.
The staff provided effective care that met people’s physical and mental health needs. They were knowledgeable about the people they supported and knew how to support them in the way they wanted. Improvements were needed to the staff training programme to ensure all staff had completed the courses they needed to.
Staff encouraged people to eat and drink healthily and to have a varied diet. People told that staff supported them to make choices about their meals. People also gave us examples of how staff helped to ensure their healthcare needs were met, liaising with health care professionals and accompanying them to appointments where necessary.
The staff had a caring approach to the people they supported. People told us staff took an interest in their lives and talked with them about their own families which made them feel included. Staff valued the people they supported, welcoming a visit from a person who previously used the service and arranging to visit another person using the service who was in hospital.
People had their needs assessed prior to using the service and the information was used as a basis for their care plans and risk assessments. Care plans were personalised and focused on people’s views and how they wanted things done. One person told us how staff supported them throughout the day, fitting in with their lifestyle and providing advice and encouragement when it was needed.
Staff encouraged people to socialise, spend time in the local community, and maintain contact with their friends and family. This was in keeping with people’s wishes. A relative commented positively on the progress their family member had made since receiving support from the service.
People told us the manager and staff were approachable and they would tell them if there was anything they were unhappy about. They had to opportunity to share their views on the service during care reviews and through an annual quality assurance survey.