Oswestry Care Limited

Updated 7 March 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 31 January and 1 February 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because they provide care in people’s homes and we needed to be sure that someone would be in the office.

The inspection was conducted by one inspector and an expert 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.

As part of the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service, such as statutory notifications we had received from the provider. Statutory notifications are about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. We reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR is a form where we ask the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and what improvements they plan to make. We also asked the local authority and Healthwatch if they had information to share about the service provided. We used this information to plan the inspection.

During the inspection we spoke with 10 people who used the service and 13 relatives. We spoke with the provider and eight staff including the registered manager and seven care staff. We viewed three records which related to assessment of needs and risk. We also viewed other records which related to the management of the service, such as quality assurance checks, policies and procedures and three recruitment records.

Updated 7 March 2018

This inspection was carried out on 31 January and 1 February 2018.

Oswestry Care Limited is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care and support to people in their own homes. It provides a service to older adults, some of whom are living with dementia, and younger disabled adults. Not everyone using Oswestry Care Limited receives a regulated activity. CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’: help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection, 83 people were receiving a personal care service.

There was a registered manager in post who was present during our inspection. 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.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People continued to receive safe care and treatment. People were protected from the risks of abuse, avoidable harm and discrimination by staff who knew how to identify and report signs of abuse. The provider had safe recruitment procedures to ensure that prospective new staff were suitable to work with people living in their own homes. People were supported by regular care staff who were punctual and reliable.

Risks associated with people’s needs and environment were routinely assessed, monitored and review. Staff were aware of these risks and how to minimise them. The management team monitored any accidents or incidents and took appropriate action to prevent them happening again. The provider had infection control systems in place prevent the risk of infection.

People received support to take their medicine as prescribed to promote good health. Staff monitored people’s health and wellbeing and supported them to arrange healthcare services as and when needed.

People were supported by staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their individual needs. Staff received training relevant to their roles and felt well supported by management and colleagues.

People were satisfied with the support they received with meals and drinks. People’s nutritional needs were assessed and known by staff.

People are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the provider’s policies and systems supported this practice.

Staff treated people with dignity and respect. People found staff to be kind and caring. Staff had formed effective working relationships with people and their relatives. Staff offered people choice and respected their wishes. Staff provided information to people in a way they understood to enable them to make decisions about their own care.

People received care and support that was shaped around their individual needs and preferences. People were supported by regular care staff who knew them well and were able to recognise and promptly respond to any changes. People had not had cause to complain but felt comfortable to raise any concerns with staff of management.

People and their relatives felt the service was well run and would recommend it to others. They found the management team friendly and approachable.

There was an open and honest culture within the service where people, their relatives and staff were given opportunities to put forward ideas for change.

The provider and registered manager had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and to drive improvements.

Further information is in the detailed findings below