Time Out Service

Updated 23 July 2022

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 planned this inspection 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

The inspection team consisted of one inspector and one 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

Time out service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post

Notice of inspection

We carried out the inspection visit on 13 July 2022. It was announced. The provider was given 48 hours' notice because the registered manager can be out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be available.

What we did

Before our inspection, we reviewed the information we held about the home which included statutory notifications and safeguarding alerts and the Provider Information Return (PIR), which the provider completed before the inspection. The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information

about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During our inspection we went to the service's office and spoke with the registered manager and two care support staff. We looked at three care records and three staff records; we also looked at various documents relating to the management of the service. After the inspection visit, we spoke to eight relatives of people who used the service.

Updated 23 July 2022

About the service

Time out service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to older adults living in their own homes. It is primarily a service that provides support to carers and part of a wider service provided by Age UK that also includes day care provision and signposting support. At the time of our inspection, there were 11 people who received personal care from the service.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal are. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.

People’s experience of using this service

People told us people they were happy with the care and support they received because they felt safe and all their needs were met by kind and caring staff.

People had access to healthcare services and were involved in decisions about their care. Partnerships with other agencies and health professionals enabled effective outcomes for people. Staff supported people to take medicines safely.

People's care was planned and risks to their safety and wellbeing were assessed. The agency reviewed these plans regularly, involving people in these reviews and asking for their opinions. They delivered good quality care which had led to improvements in people's health and well-being.

Staff had completed safeguarding training and understood their role in identifying and reporting any concerns of potential abuse or poor practice.

People and staff praised the managers of the service and agreed that they were approachable, knowledgeable, fair and did their job well. The staff team worked well together and supported the manager.

The staff team was committed to providing a high-quality service. They had undertaken training so that they were skilled and knowledgeable to effectively meet people’s needs. Staff understood their responsibilities to report any concerns.

Staff encouraged people to be as independent as possible and respected people’s privacy and dignity.

People received care and support from a small group of staff most of whom had worked for the agency for many years, which provided consistency.

People were given choices about the way in which they were cared for. Staff listened to them and knew their needs well. Care plans contained information about each person’s individual support needs and preferences in relation to their care and we found evidence of good outcomes for people. When people did not have the capacity to make their own decisions, staff maximised their involvement and made decisions in their best interests, in accordance with legislation.

Recruitment practices were safe and relevant checks had been completed before staff worked at the service.

People confirmed the service did not miss any care calls and that staff were usually on time.

The managers of the service actively sought the views of people and their relatives about the running of the service and they dealt promptly with any concerns that people raised.

The provider had systems in place to monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service provided. There was a positive culture throughout the service. Staff told us they enjoyed working at the service and felt valued.

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More information is in the full report.

Rating at last inspection

At the last inspection we rated this service Good. The report was published on 22 January 2018

Why we inspected

We carried out a focused inspection of this service on 13 July 2022. This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions safe, effective and well led.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Time out service on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information, we may inspect sooner.