19 December 2017
During a routine inspection
At our last inspection on 13 July 2016 we found that the provider needed to make improvements to make the service safe, effective, responsive and well-led. We found at this inspection that improvements had been made.
The service had a registered manager. The registered manager was also the registered provider. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People told us they felt safe when they were supported by care workers and that they trusted the care workers. All staff had training about safeguarding training to enable them to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and knew how to report them. There were risk management plans in place to protect and promote people’s safety. People were advised about how to stay safe in their homes.
The service had recruitment procedures that ensured as far as possible that only suitable staff were employed. There were enough care workers to cover all the home care visits that were required.
People received the support they required to have their medicines.
Care workers followed safe practice to protect people from the risk of infection.
There were arrangements in place at the service to make sure that action was taken and lessons learned when things went wrong and to improve safety across the service.
The care people received was focused on their needs and preferences.
Care workers who supported people with preparing meals were trained in food hygiene. People received enough to eat and drink and staff gave support when required.
Staff were supported to develop the skills and knowledge they needed to provide the care people needed through training and supervision. Different staff teams communicated with each other and coordinated their efforts so that people consistently experienced good care. Staff worked together with other services who were involved in people’s health and social care.
People were supported to access health services when they needed them.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and support workers supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
There was a strong culture within the service of treating people with dignity and respect. People’s views were sought and acted upon. People told us they were treated with dignity.
People’s care plans provided staff with detailed information and guidance about people's likes, dislikes, preferences and guidance from any professionals involved in their care. People and their relatives were involved in planning all aspects of their care and support and were able to make changes to how their care was provided. Care plans were regularly reviewed to ensure care met people's current needs.
People, relatives and staff knew how to raise concerns and make a complaint if they needed to and there was a complaints procedure in place to enable people to raise complaints about the service.
The registered manager and the staff team were knowledgeable about people's needs and key issues and challenges within the service. The registered manager had systems in place to monitor the quality of the care provided and to ensure the values, aims and objectives of the service were met. This included audits of key aspects of the service. The registered manager reported monthly to a board of trustees who scrutinized the service.
Staff felt supported and valued. Staff received one to one supervision which gave them an opportunity to share ideas, and exchange information about possible areas for improvements.
The registered provider was aware of their responsibility to report events that occurred within the service to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and external agencies.