Background to this inspection
Updated
19 May 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 was carried out by one inspector and two Experts by Experience. 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 houses and flats.
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
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 25 April 2022 and ended on 28 April. We visited the location’s office on 25 and 26 April 2022, spoke with people and relatives on 27 April 2022 and spoke with additional staff on 28 April 2022.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since it was registered. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with the registered manager, six members of staff, 18 people using the service, and four people’s relatives. We reviewed a range of records including 12 people’s care records. We looked at four staff personnel files. We reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including audits, policies and procedures.
Updated
19 May 2022
About the service
Meridian Health and Social Care – Salford is a domiciliary care service providing personal care and support to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. At this inspection 160 people were receiving the regulated activity of personal care.
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
Systems in place helped safeguard people from the risk of abuse. Assessments of risk and safety and supporting measures in place helped minimise risks. Staff managed people’s medicines safely and followed infection prevention and control guidance to minimise risks related to the spread of infection.
Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs and managers recruited staff safely. Staff followed an induction programme, and training was on-going throughout employment.
Staff thoroughly assessed people’s needs prior to a service starting. Care plans included information about support required in areas such as nutrition, mobility and personal care to help inform care provision. Staff made appropriate referrals to other agencies and professionals when required.
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. People and relatives, where appropriate, were involved in care planning.
People told us they were well treated and their equality and diversity respected. People felt staff respected their privacy and dignity and took into account their views when agreeing on the support required. Staff identified people’s communication needs and addressed these with appropriate actions, for example, speaking clearly and slowly where there was a hearing impairment or matching a staff member with appropriate language skills to a person.
Managers responded to complaints appropriately and used these to inform improvement to care provision. The provider was open and honest, in dealing with concerns raised. The management team were available for people to contact and undertook regular quality checks, to help ensure continued good standards of care.
The provider and registered manager followed governance systems which provided effective oversight and monitoring of the service. These governance systems and processes ensured the service provided to people was safe and effective.
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 03 May 2018).
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Meridian Health and Social Care-Salford on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.