Everycare Eastbourne

Updated 20 June 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

There was one inspector who visited the office and an Expert by Experience who spoke to people using the service or their relative by telephone. 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:

The service is a Domiciliary Care Agency, it provides personal care to people in their homes.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection

A comprehensive inspection took place on 16 May 2019 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure that staff would be in the office and to arrange for telephone calls to people and relatives.

What we did:

Before the inspection: We reviewed information available to us about this service. We checked the information that we held about the service and the service provider. This included previous inspection reports and statutory notifications sent to us by the provider about incidents and events that had occurred at the service. A notification is information about important events, which the service is required to send to us by law. We used all this information to decide which areas to focus on during our inspection.

The registered provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection we looked at:

• Notifications we received from the service

• Four care records, medicine records and risk assessments

• Records of accidents, incidents and complaints

• Audits and quality assurance reports

• Other documents relating to the management of the service.

During the inspection we spoke to:

• Six people using the service; Four relatives

• Five members of staff (The Registered manager; deputy manager; nominated individual and three carers)

After the inspection; We received feedback on the service from a social worker by email, they gave us permission to quote them in this report.

Updated 20 June 2019

About the service: Everycare is a care at home agency that provides personal care to people in their homes. Everycare provides support for people who require a range of personal and care support related to personal hygiene, mobility, nutrition and continence. People were supported to maintain independent lives with the care provided. Everycare also provides 'live-in' support for people who have more complex needs such as frailty associated with old age or long-term health conditions. At the time of the inspection 46 people were receiving personal care.

People’s experience of using this service:

Without exception people and relatives told us they were supported by staff that were kind and caring and went over and above to meet their needs and preferences. A person told us, “1st class in every aspect I can't think of anything I can find fault with.”

People told us they knew who would visit them and when and they told us they were supported by a consistent group of staff who knew them and their needs well.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff enabled people to maintain their independence as much as possible. Staff also supported people to regain their independence if this had been lost as the result of a specific event, such as through illness or a hospital stay.

Staff were skilled and knowledgeable. They had received training that equipped them to fulfil their role and there were opportunities for additional training specific to the needs of people using the service. A person told us, “My carers are very efficient, all of them, I can't fault them they look after me very well.”

People were provided with care and support that was centred on their needs, wishes and preferences. Care plans described people's needs and preferences and staff were aware of people's personal history, interests and relationships that were important to them. People and their relatives were consulted about decisions and were involved in planning their care. People were encouraged to give feedback about how the service was run. The service demonstrated good management and leadership and staff told us they felt supported.

People received safe care and treatment. Risks to people’s health and safety were assessed and managed. People's health needs were monitored well, and staff were responsive in seeking treatment. People's medicines were managed safely by trained staff.

Safe recruitment practices continued to check that suitable staff were safe to work in a social care setting. Staff told us they were not rushed to complete calls and had time to spend with people. Staff were prompt in arriving at people's homes at the arranged time.

Staff supported people to have ready access to food and drink. Relatives told us that staff had supported their relatives to achieve good outcomes with eating and drinking. Relatives told us staff supported people to eat well and to maintain a healthy weight.

This service met the characteristics of Good. More information is in the ‘Detailed Findings’ below.

Rating at the last inspection: Good. The last inspection report was published on 13 June 2017. The last inspection was focussed on one key question, Well-led and rated that key question Requires Improvement however the overall rating remained as Good. The previous inspection was rated Good on 8 November 2016.

Why we inspected: This was a planned comprehensive inspection that was scheduled to take place in line with Care Quality Commission (CQC) scheduling guidelines for adult social care services.

Follow up: We will review the service in line with our methodology for 'Good' services.

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