Updated 21 April 2016
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions.
This focused inspection was a follow –up after the service was placed under ‘special measures’ following our last inspection of 19 May 2015. The service has an overall rating of ‘Inadequate’. A Notice of Decision to impose a condition on the registration as a service for the provider in respect of the Regulated Activities (Personal Care) was issued with immediate effect on 22 May 2015 and stated: “You must not provide the regulated activity of Personal Care to any person who is not an existing service user as at the date the condition takes effect.”
This inspection took place on 29 October 2015 and it was conducted by two inspectors. 48 hours’ notice of the inspection was given because we needed to be sure that there would be someone in the office. A second visit took place on 02 December 2015 by one inspector.
Before the inspection, we reviewed information we held about the service, including the notifications they had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us. We had received notification by Luton Borough Council that they believed that a person using direct payments was purchasing care from Healthcare Assist.
During the office visit, we spoke with the provider and the registered manager. We also spoke with the Local Authority to ensure that people who used the service would continue to receive care and support from another provider.
We evidenced from the care records that two people were receiving personal care each day since July 2015.