Archived: Mears Care - Cambridge

Updated 22 January 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 announced inspection took place on 22, 26 and 28 October 2015 and was undertaken by one 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. We told the provider two days before our visit that we would be coming. We did this because the manager is sometimes out of the office and we need to be sure they would be present for our inspection.

Before our inspection we looked at all the information we held about the service. This included the provider information return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make.

We looked at other information that we held about the service including notifications. A notification is information about events that the registered persons are required, by law, to tell us about.

During our inspection we spoke with 12 people and two relatives by telephone visited four people and two relatives in people’s homes. We also spoke with the manager, a senior co-ordinator, a visiting officer, a co-ordinator, a training manager and seven care workers. We received feedback from Cambridgeshire County Council contracts monitoring team.

We looked at eight people’s care records, staff training records and two staff recruitment records. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service including audits, meeting minutes and records relating to compliments and complaints.

Updated 22 January 2016

Mears Care Cambridge is an agency that provides personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection the service provided personal care to approximately 200 people living Cambridgeshire.

Our last inspection took place on 8 April 2013 we found the provider was meeting all the regulations we looked at.

The last registered manager left the service in June 2015. 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. The new manager took up post shortly after the registered manager left. They have significant experience of managing a similar service. Their application to register as manager was being processed by the CQC during this inspection.

Staff were only employed after the provider carried out satisfactory pre-employment checks. Staff were trained and well supported by their managers. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s assessed needs. Systems were in place to ensure people’s safety was effectively managed. Staff were aware of the procedures for reporting concerns and of how to protect people from harm.

People’s health and care needs were effectively met and staff were aware of people’s dietary needs. People received their prescribed medicines appropriately and medicines.

The CQC monitors the operations of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care services. We found people’s rights to make decisions about their care were respected.

People received care and support from staff who were kind, friendly, and efficient. People and their relatives were encouraged to express their views on the service provided.

People, and their relatives where appropriate, were involved in their care assessments and reviews. Care records were detailed and provided staff with sufficient guidance to provide consistent care to each person that met their needs. Changes to people’s care was kept under review to ensure that any changes were effective.

People and their relatives knew who they could speak with if they had a concern or complaint. A complaints procedure was in place. The manager responded appropriately to people’s concerns or complaints.

People, relatives and staff told us there had been significant improvements in the way the service was run since the new manager took up post in June 2015. People and relatives were encouraged to provide feedback on the service in various ways both formally and informally. There was an effective quality assurance system in place and the manager had clear plans for the service’ further improvement and development.

Mears Care Cambridge is an agency that provides personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection the service provided personal care to approximately 200 people living Cambridgeshire.