Archived: DCS and D Limited T/A Heritage Healthcare Guisborough

DCS and D Limited T/A Heritage Healthcare Guisborough is a domiciliary care service which provides personal care to people within their own homes. It is based in Guisborough and provides care and support to people in Redcar and East Cleveland. At the time of inspection 104 people used the service.

The service had a registered manager. 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 and processes in place to protect people from the risk of harm. Staff were able to tell us about the different types of abuse and what actions they would take if they suspected abuse was taking place. Safeguarding alerts had been made when needed.

Risk assessments were in place for people who needed them and were specific to people's needs. Risk assessments had been regularly reviewed and updated when required.

Robust recruitment procedures were in place and appropriate checks had been made before employment commenced.

The registered provider had policies and procedures in place to ensure medicines were managed safely. Accurate records were kept to show when medicines had been administered.

Staff performance was monitored and recorded through a system of regular supervisions and appraisals. Staff had received up to date training to support them to carry out their roles safely and had completed an induction process with the registered provider.

People were supported to maintain their health through access to regular food and drink. Appropriate tools were in place to monitor people's weight and nutritional health. Staff knew how to make referrals to health professionals should anyone using the service become at risk of malnutrition.

Staff demonstrated good knowledge and understanding of the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Documentation was available for those people who had Court of Protection orders in place.

Where appropriate, staff supported people to enjoy a good diet and suitable food and nutrition. People were supported to maintain good health and had access to healthcare professionals and services when needed. People made regular visits to their own GP.

People and relatives were actively involved in care planning and decision making, which was evident in signed care plans. Information on advocacy services was available.

Relatives spoke highly of the service and the staff. People said they were treated with dignity and respect.

Care plans detailed people's needs, wishes and preferences and were person centred which meant people received personalised support. Care plans had been reviewed and updated regularly.

The registered provider had a clear procedure for handling complaints which we could see had been followed.

Staff described a positive culture that focused on the people using the service. They felt supported by the management. Staff told us that all managers were approachable and they felt confident that they would deal with any issues raised.

Staff were kept informed about the operation of the service through regular staff meetings. Staff were given the opportunity to recognise and suggest areas for improvement.

Quality assurance systems were in place and completed by the registered manager. Senior management also visited the service regularly to monitor the quality of the service.

Accidents and incidents were monitored to identify any patterns and appropriate actions were taken to reduce the risks.

The registered manager understood their role and responsibilities. Notifications had been submitted to CQC in a timely manner. Notifications are changes, events or incidents the registered provider is legally obliged to send us within the required timescales.