Background to this inspection
Updated
15 November 2018
The inspection: We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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.
Inspection team: The inspection was carried out by one adult social care 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.
Service and service type: Victoria Community Care is a domiciliary care agency, providing personal care and support to people living in their own homes. The service operates from an office based in Prescot, Knowsley close to the town centre. At the time of this inspection 127 people were using the service.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality commission. This means they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection: We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure that someone would be in the office to support our inspection.
What we did when preparing for and carrying out this inspection: We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse. We obtained feedback from local authority commissioners and safeguarding teams and other professionals who work with the service. We also reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR provides key information about the service, what the service does well and the improvements the registered provider plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection, we spoke with seven people who used the service and 10 family members to ask about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five care workers, four office staff, the registered manager and registered provider, the training manager and a group of four care workers on induction.
We reviewed ten people’s care records and recruitment, supervision and training records for five staff. We also reviewed a range of quality assurance records.
Updated
15 November 2018
What life is like for people using this service:
Medication was safely stored and administered and medication administration records (MARs) were properly maintained. People told us they received all their prescribed medication at the right time.
Risks people faced were identified and measures were put in place to reduce the likelihood of harm occurring.
People were protected from abuse and the risk of abuse. Staff knew the different types of abuse and how to recognise and report any concerns they had.
People were kept safe by the right amount of suitable staff. The process for recruiting new staff was safe and thorough.
People commented that in the past they had experienced late visits. However, they told us that this had improved. They told us that staff arrived on time and stayed with them for the full duration of their planned visit.
Care plans clearly identified people’s needs, how they were to be met and what the expected outcome was for the person. People told us they received the right care and support which was outlined in their care plan.
People received care and support from staff who received training and supervision for their role.
People's right to make their own decisions was respected and staff obtained their consent prior to the delivery of any care and support.
People were treated with dignity and respect and their privacy was promoted. Positive relationships had been formed between people who used the service and staff. People commented that staff often went over and above what was expected of them.
People's needs were assessed and a care plan was developed instructing staff on how best to meet people’s needs. People were fully involved in the development of their care plan and ongoing reviews of them.
People were provided with information about how to complain and they were confident about complaining should they need to.
Managers worked in partnership with other stakeholders to mitigate risks and make improvements to the quality and safety of the service.
Lessons were learnt from mistakes and the registered manager and registered provider made a commitment to maintain improvements and further develop the service.
Systems for assessing and monitoring the quality and safety of the service were strengthened following feedback from others. The systems were effective in identifying and making improvements to the service people received.
People, family members and staff were invited to share their views about the service and how it was run.
More information is in Detailed Findings below
Rating at last inspection: Good (report published 16 June 2015)
About the service: Victoria Community Care is a domiciliary care service that provides personal care to people living in their own home. At the time of the inspection 127 people were using the service.
Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. The service remained rated Good overall.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.