Archived: New Hope Care Hereford

Updated 29 June 2018

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 was an announced comprehensive inspection carried out on the 6 June 2018. The inspection team consisted of one inspector, supported by two further inspectors, who undertook telephone interviews with people, relatives and staff. The provider was given 24 hours’ notice, because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be at their office to facilitate the inspection.

The inspection visit was undertaken before the provider had been requested to complete a Provider Information Return. This 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. Before the inspection visit, we reviewed information we held about the service in the form of statutory notifications received from the service and any safeguarding or whistleblowing incidents, which may have occurred. A statutory notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to send us by law. We also contacted the local authority and Healthwatch for any information they had, which would aid our inspection. Local authorities together with other agencies may have responsibility for funding people who used the service and monitoring its quality. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion, which promotes the views and experiences of people who use health and social care services. We were also contacted by a social care professional who provided information regarding their engagement with the provider.

As part of the inspection, we met four people in their own homes. We also spoke with six people, six relatives and seven support workers. As part of the inspection, we visited the provider’s office and spoke with the registered manager, training and compliance manager, the care coordinator and an administrator responsible for quality assurance checks. We reviewed a range of records about people’s care and how the home was managed. We looked at four care records, medicine administration records, seven personnel files and records related to the management of the service.

Updated 29 June 2018

This was an announced comprehensive inspection carried out on the 6 June 2018.

New Hope Care Hereford is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. Not everyone using the service receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. There were 22 people using the service on the day of our inspection.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our visit. 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.'

At our last comprehensive inspection of the service in March 2017, the overall rating for the service was judged to be ‘requires improvement.’ At this inspection we have rated the service as ‘good’.

People and their relatives told us they or their family members were safe and that staff followed safe work practices. The administration and management of medicines was safe. Risks to people were managed in a way that protected them and kept them safe from avoidable harm. There were enough staff to safely meet people's needs. The provider followed safe recruitment practice when appointing new staff.

Staff received on-going training and development in their roles, and they understood key legislation underpinning their practice. People's rights with regards to consent and making their own decisions was supported by staff. People were supported to access external health services when they needed them.

People enjoyed positive and respectful relationships with staff. People's dignity was maintained. People's independence was promoted as much as possible. People were actively involved in identifying their needs and wishes for their own care and support.

People's care plans captured their preferences, wishes, needs and interests, and staff used these to inform their practice. The provider was aware of their responsibilities under Accessible Information Standards. There was a system in place for capturing and responding to complaints, comments, feedback and suggestions.

People’s experiences were reviewed regularly and their views were sought in relation to the quality of the service provided. The culture of the provider was open and transparent. Staff felt valued and were confident that they would be listened to if they raised any concerns. There were procedures in place to monitor and review the quality of the service, which the provider used to drive improvements.