Westlake Carers Ltd

Updated 13 January 2023

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 visit was carried out by two inspectors and an Expert by Experience who made telephone calls to people who use the service prior to our visit to the offices.

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 provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations. 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 it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 29 November 2022 and ended on 5 December 2022. We visited the location’s office on 30 November 2022.

What we did before the inspection

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 reviewed the information we had received about the service since they registered with us. This included accidents, incidents and safeguarding concerns. We also used information gathered as part of our monitoring activity that took place on 29 September 2022 to help plan the inspection and inform our judgements.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager on the day we visited the offices. Prior to our visit, the Expert by Experience had spoken with 6 people and 2 relatives about their experience of the care they received.

We reviewed the care plans for 7 people. We also reviewed numerous medicines records, as well as other documentation associated with people’s care. We looked at 6 staff recruitment files, audits and surveys.

Following our inspection, we received documentation from the registered manager in relation to recruitment documents, training and supervision. We spoke with 4 staff and received written feedback from one relative.

Updated 13 January 2023

About the service

Westlake Carers Ltd is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own homes. 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. At the time of our inspection, Westlake Carers Ltd was providing personal care to 20 people.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Although people told us they received the medicines they needed, the registered manager was not monitoring or auditing medicines records. This meant they could not assure themselves that staff medicines competencies were robust and safe.

Where people were at risk of harm, either due to their health, or mobility, there was not always guidance or information in place for staff on what action they could take to try and reduce this risk.

The registered manager and staff had a very good knowledge of people, their care and their individual needs, but there was a lack of robust governance arrangements in place at the agency. This meant care records, analysis of accidents and incidents, medicines records and staff time keeping was not monitored for quality and consistency.

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 although we have made a recommendation to the registered provider to consider current guidance in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and when capacity assessment are required.

People were happy with Westlake Carers Ltd and told us the care staff were kind and caring towards them and showed them respect. They told us staff knew them well and how they liked their care and that if their needs changed, the registered manager was flexible and would reorganise their care package.

People told us they knew how to make a complaint and said they felt safe with staff. They said staff always turned up and did not feel rushed during their care call. People said they had choice in how they wished to be cared for and when staff prepared meals for them, they were happy with this aspect of their care. There was evidence staff involved external health professionals when needed.

Staff enjoyed working for the agency. They felt the training was good and they were supported by the registered manager and felt valued. Staff had been able to meet together for one staff meeting to discuss various aspects of the agency and people were given the opportunity to give their feedback, though a survey, as to their views on Westlake Carers.

The registered manager had a clear vision of where she wished to take the agency and had recognised there were shortfalls that needed to be addressed. They told us they would put a hold on taking on any new care packages until they had recruited some additional office staff and had established a robust system.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 10 October 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the Safe and Well-led sections of this full report.

Enforcement and recommendations

We have identified breaches in relation to the monitoring of medicines records, information relating to risks to people and the general oversight of the service, including record keeping at this inspection. We have also made a recommendation to the registered provider in relation to the mental capacity act and accidents and incident analysis.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.