Crossroads Caring For Life

Updated 25 July 2019

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 checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection of the office was carried out by one inspector. Two additional inspectors supported the inspection process, they contacted people and staff to obtain feedback.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in their own homes in the community. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. Inspection activity started with the office inspection on 24 June 2019 and ended on 03July 2019, when people and staff were contacted to obtain feedback.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection-

We sought feedback from the local authority commissioners, and professionals who work with the service.

We spoke with six people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the service. We spoke with eight members of staff including the registered manager, the nominated individual, recruitment administrator, a staff trainer and care workers.

We reviewed a range of records, covering all aspects of the service. This included three people’s care and support plans and medication records. We looked at three staff recruitment and training records. We reviewed quality assurance records and audits, meeting minutes and staff support records.

Updated 25 July 2019

About the service

Crossroads Care Hertfordshire North is a registered charity providing practical support to family carers and those they support. In addition, they provide a domiciliary care service to people to assist with personal care.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were positive with the care and support they received and felt safe. Staff knew how to keep people safe and how to report any concerns. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. There were robust recruitment checks in place which were completed before new staff started work. People were assisted and prompted to take their medicines regularly. Staff completed medicine records when they administered people`s medicines. People were protected from the risk and spread of infection because staff used effective hygiene procedures and personal protective equipment.

People's consent was obtained before care was provided. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People were supported to maintain a healthy lifestyle and a varied and nutritious diet. People were assisted to access health care services and professionals when required.

People were positive about the service and in particular the staff who supported them. People told us that staff were kind, caring and respectful. People and their relatives told us the service helped them to achieve a better quality of life and improved outcomes for the carer and those being cared for. People were involved in planning their care. Staff respected people's privacy and maintained their dignity. Staff worked well as a team and shared a values-based ethos, enabling people and their loved ones to continue to live in their own homes with support.

People were aware of the providers complaint and concerns policy and also how to provide positive feedback. People were confident any feedback or concerns raised were addressed in a timely way and to their satisfaction People were encouraged to provide feedback about the service.

There were quality assurance processes in place which included various audits of all aspects of the service. The registered manager carried out audits to check the quality of the service. People, relatives and staff all felt supported and valued. The registered manager and team worked in partnership with other professionals and organisations to ensure good care outcomes for people.

The registered manger, chief executive office and the management team operated an open transparent and inclusive service. They were committed to improving the quality of people’s lives through continuous support, learning and improving. There was a clear focus on person centred care.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 21 September 2016).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

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