Archived: Sevacare - Portsmouth

Sevacare (UK) Limited provides personal care services for people living in their own homes and in four extra care housing schemes in Portsmouth. Sevacare (UK) Limited manages these five registered locations as their “Portsmouth Branch”. At the time of our inspection 103 people received personal care and support in their own homes managed from Sevacare (UK)’s office at 103 Portsmouth Technopole.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager 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 provider made sure staff knew about the risks of abuse and avoidable harm and had suitable processes in place if staff needed to report concerns. The provider had procedures in place to identify, assess, manage and reduce other risks to people’s health and wellbeing. There were enough staff to support people safely according to their needs. Recruitment procedures were in place to make sure staff were suitable to work in a care setting. Procedures and processes were in place to make sure medicines were handled safely.

Staff received regular training, supervision and appraisal designed to help them obtain and maintain the skills and knowledge required to support people according to their needs. Arrangements were in place to obtain and record people’s consent to their care and support.

Staff were able to develop caring relationships with people. They respected their independence, privacy and dignity when supporting people with their personal care.

The provider’s assessment, care planning and reporting systems resulted in people receiving care and support that met their needs and was delivered according to their preferences and wishes. People knew how to make a complaint if they had any concerns. Complaints were logged, investigated and followed up.

People and their care workers described an open, supportive, caring culture. This was maintained by effective management systems and procedures to monitor and improve the quality of service provided.

judgements. We asked the provider to send us a report of the changes they would make to

comply with the standard they were not meeting.

We have followed up to make sure that the necessary changes have been made and

found the provider is now meeting the standard included within this report. This report

should be read in conjunction with the full inspection report.

We have not revisited Sevacare Portsmouth as part of this review as they were able to demonstrate that they were meeting the standards without the need for a visit.

We considered all the evidence we had gathered under the outcomes we inspected. We used the information to answer the five questions we always ask;

Is the service caring?

Is the service responsive?

Is the service safe?

Is the service effective?

Is the service well led?

This is a summary of what we found-

Is the service caring?

People told us they were supported by kind and attentive staff. Staff treated people as individuals and provided care which was in line with their agreed plan of care. People told us the staff visiting them changed often but that they were always very caring. People's needs were supported in a calm, dignified and respectful way.

Is the service responsive?

People's needs were assessed and reviewed regularly to ensure their needs were met. People and their representatives were encouraged to participate in care planning and review. The registered manager or team leaders regularly spoke with people and their representatives to ensure their needs were being met. This meant that people were able to express their views of the care they received and have them acted upon.

Is the service safe?

People told us they felt safe when staff visited them in their home. People were cared for by staff who had the appropriate skills and experience to ensure their care and welfare. However, we found that the risks associated with people's care and treatment had not always been assessed, and agreed actions to reduce these risks had not always been made.

This meant that people were at risk of not receiving care which did not ensure their safety and welfare.We have asked the provider to tell us what they are going to do to meet the requirements of the law in relation to assessing people's needs and planning the delivery of care.

Is the service effective?

We saw that people received care which was individualised and planned in line with their needs. However, people told us they often received different carers to support them and that this did not help them to receive efficient care. Staff told us their calls were often changed and this meant they did not always know people they visited very well. Staff told us they felt had received appropriate training to meet the needs of people and that they were supported to learn new skills if they were required.

Is the service well-led?

Staff told us they received adequate support from the management. They were clear about their roles and understood the need to inform office staff of any concerns they or people using the service may have. Records showed that staff had regular meetings and one to one supervision sessions with management to ensure they were supported in the work place.

This meant that staff were supported in their roles to ensure the safety and welfare of people.