Old Friends Care Limited

Updated 19 July 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of two inspectors.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats and specialist housing.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced.

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.

Inspection activity started on 09 May 2022 and ended on 31 May 2022. We visited the location’s office/service on 09 May 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people and eight relatives. We spoke with 13 members of staff including the registered manager, senior care staff members, training and rota support staff, a mentor and care staff members. We also spoke with a provider’s representative 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. These included nine people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at records relating to the management of the service and the safety and quality of people’s care. For example, feedback provided by people and their relatives, complaints management, checks undertaken on the service and action plans arising. We also looked at compliments received by staff about the care provided and records showing us how staff were recruited and trained.

In addition, we reviewed a range of policies and procedures. For example, relating to people’s safety, safeguarding and infection control.

Updated 19 July 2022

About the service

Old Friends Care Limited is a domiciliary care agency. People are supported in their own homes so that they can live as independently as possible. The domiciliary care agency is registered to provide a service to younger adults, older people who may live with dementia, mental health, sensory impairment or physical or learning disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were 117 people using the service.

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 told us they had developed very close bonds with staff who were kind, compassionate and caring. There were many examples given of staff going the extra mile to ensure people were fully supported to enjoy enhanced well-being, maintain their independence and feel valued.

People’s wider needs, history and choices were considered when their care was planned. Relatives told us they were true partners in this process and staff’s focus was consistently on their family member’s wishes and needs. Staff had a clear understanding of what mattered to people and supported them by advocating with other organisations so they would enjoy the best life possible. People were treated with warmth and compassion at the end of their lives and staff offered support and advice to relatives during this time. Systems were in place to manage any concerns or complaints.

People could rely on staff providing the care planned at the times agreed. Staff understood people’s individual risks and supported them to manage these. Where people required assistance with their medicines staff supported them.

Staff assessed people’s needs and reviewed these when appropriate, so people continued to receive the care they wanted. People were supported to have enough to eat and drink to remain well. 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 told us Old Friends Care Limited was a good place to work, because of the support they received to provide excellent care. Senior staff checked people received the care they wanted and that this was provided safely.

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 the service under the previous provider was good, published on 14 August 2019.

Why we inspected

This service was registered with us on 01 May 2020 and this is the first inspection under this provider.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.