Archived: Goldsborough - Hatfield

Updated 31 August 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check 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.

This inspection which included a visit to the provider’s offices took place on 30 June 2016 and was conducted by one inspector. A 48 hours’ notice of our inspection was given to the provider to ensure there would be someone in the office. An expert by experience contacted people who used the service and their relatives. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR) which we reviewed. A 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. We also reviewed information we held about the service, including the notifications they had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us.

During the office visit, we spoke with the registered manager, 25 people who used the service, nine relatives and 10 care staff. We looked at the care records for 15 people who used the service, the recruitment and supervision records for 10 care staff, and their training records. We also reviewed information on how the provider managed complaints, and how they assessed and monitored the quality of the service.

Between the date of the office visit and 12 July 2016, we spoke with people who used the service and their relatives and staff by telephone.

Updated 31 August 2016

We carried out an announced inspection of this service on 30 June 2016 when we visited the office. We contacted people who used the service on various dates from 30 June 2016 to 12 July 2016 when we concluded our inspection. The service provides personal care to people living in their own homes. On the day of this inspection, there were 830 people using the service covering the whole of Hertfordshire.

The service had a registered manager in post. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

There were systems in place to safeguard people from the possible risk of harm. There were risk assessments in place to provide guidance to staff on how risks to people could be managed and minimised. People received their medicines safely as agreed with their care package and assessment of needs.

The provider had effective recruitment processes in place to ensure that staff employed to the service were suitable for their roles. There were sufficient numbers of staff to support people safely.

Staff were skilled and knowledgeable in how to support people in accordance with their agreed care plans. Staff received regular supervision and support, and had been trained to meet people’s individual needs appropriately.

Staff understood their roles and were aware of their responsibilities and understood their roles to seek people’s consent prior to care being provided. They were caring, compassionate and they respected people’s privacy and dignity.

People’s needs had been assessed, and care plans included their individual needs, preferences, and choices. The provider had a formal process for handling complaints and concerns.

There were effective quality monitoring processes in place. Regular checks and audits had been carried out and people’s views had been sought regarding the quality of the service.