The inspection took place on 28 and 29 June 2016 and was announced. We had last inspected First Call Healthcare Limited in August 2014. At that inspection we found the service was meeting the legal requirements in force at the time. First Call Healthcare Limited is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection services were provided to 14 people, who were mainly older people including those who were being cared for at the end of their lives.
The service had a manager in post who had applied to become the registered manager. 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.
We found that care was appropriately planned to protect people’s welfare and personal safety. Steps had been taken to reduce the risks of avoidable harm and safeguard people from being abused. Staff understood their roles in recognising and reporting any concerns about people’s safety.
There was sufficient staffing capacity for people to be provided with safe and consistent care. New staff were properly checked and vetted to make sure they were suitable to be employed to work with vulnerable people. Staff were supervised and given training to enable them to meet the needs of the people they cared for.
Where required, people received assistance to meet their nutritional needs including support with eating and drinking. People were well supported in meeting their health care needs and staff worked in a co-ordinated way with families and other professionals. However, the arrangements for managing people’s prescribed medicines were not fully robust.
People and their families were consulted about their care and how they preferred to be supported. Wherever possible, services were provided flexibly and adapted in line with people’s needs and requests. Staff confirmed they were given enough time and information to provide people with effective care.
Supportive relationships had been developed between staff and the people and families they worked with. Staff were described as having a caring approach and being respectful of people’s privacy, dignity and independence. A number of relatives spoke positively about the personalised care they felt their family members received.
Care plans were tailored to the person, had been agreed with them and their family, and were kept under review. Good communication systems were in place to keep check on people’s well-being and respond to any concerns. People were informed about the complaints procedure and were regularly asked for their views about their care experiences.
The manager promoted an open culture and provided staff with leadership and support. Methods to monitor the quality of the service were in place, including routine checks to ensure staff met the provider’s standards. A commissioner of the service spoke highly of the way the service was managed and operated.
We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 relating to the safe management of medicines. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.