Star Domiciliary Care

Updated 28 March 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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type:

Star Domiciliary Care Limited is a domiciliary care agency and provides personal care to older people in their own homes.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This meant that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection:

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because the registered manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care and we needed to be sure that they would be available.

Inspection site visit activity started on 5 February 2019 and ended on 6 February 2019. We visited the office location on 5 February 2019 to see the registered manager and to review care records and policies and procedures. We visited one person’s home on 6 February 2019 and made telephone calls to people who used the service, their relatives and staff members.

What we did:

Before the inspection we asked the provider to send us their 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 what they plan to improve. We also reviewed other information about the service including notifications. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

At the registered office, we spoke with the registered manager. We spoke with three care workers, one person supported by the service and two relatives. We reviewed care records for three people who were supported by the service. We also reviewed information relation to the management of the service such as policies and procedures, compliments and complaints, checks of quality and safety, staff recruitment and training.

Updated 28 March 2019

About the service: Star Domiciliary Care Limited. This service provides care to older people living in their own homes. 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. At the time of our inspection, eight people were receiving personal care as part of their care package.

People’s experience of using this service:

People were supported safely and had appropriate risk assessments in place to ensure any risk was minimised. Risk assessment were reviewed.

People felt safe while being supported by the staff team. People knew how to raise any concerns they had.

Staff had received training in safeguarding vulnerable people from abuse. Staff were confident they could report any concerns and they would be acted upon.

Staff were recruited safely. Appropriate pre-employment checks were in place to ensure staff were suitable to work with vulnerable people.

Medicines were safely managed. Staff were trained to administer medicines and regular checks were made to ensure people were receiving their medicines as prescribed. Staff received regular competency checks of their ability to administer medicines safely.

People were supported to receive a diet that reflected their choices. People received an assessment of their needs prior to using the service to ensure they could meet the person’s needs.

Staff received training and supervision to enable them to carry out their job role. However, supervision was not always regular. Staff told us they could raise any questions with the registered manager at any time.

Staff understood the importance of supporting people to make their own decisions and reported any concerns around people’s mental capacity to the registered manager.

People told us they felt well cared for. Relatives also felt the staff team were caring. Staff gained consent from people to enter their property to deliver care and support.

Care plans were reflective of people’s needs and were reviewed to ensure they remained accurate.

Complaints were responded to in a timely manner with outcomes shared. People and relatives knew how to make a complaint.

People could be supported at the end of their life. Staff were trained in end of life care and the service worked with other professionals to ensure dignity.

Audits to monitor the service were regularly completed but had not identified the need to manage people’s personal money.

Staff felt well supported by the registered manager. Relatives told us the registered manager was responsive.

The registered manager completed unannounced spot checks on staff to ensure they were carrying out their role effectively. The registered manager sought feedback on the service and responses were positive.

Rating at last inspection: Requires Improvement (report published 2 February 2018)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating of the last inspection. The service has now improved to be rated as overall good.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor all intelligence received about the service and will re-inspect as part of our inspection process.