Exodus Health Care Services

Exodus Health Care Services is a domiciliary care agency that was providing personal care to forty-four people, in their own homes, at the time of the inspection. For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.

People’s experience of using this service:

People told us they felt safe with staff. They said staff were kind, able to meet their needs and supported them in a dignified, respectful way which maintained their privacy and independence. The provider made sure people received support from the same staff. A relative of a person using the service told us, “[Staff] are all very nice and my [family member] is very happy with the care she receives. They always ask if there is anything else they can do…They really are very kind. This care has added years to her life.”

The provider took people’s views, choices and wishes into account when planning and delivering the care and support they needed. There was current and relevant information for staff about how these needs should be met. People’s care and support was reviewed with them to make sure this was continuing to meet their needs.

Staff sought people’s consent before providing any support. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

There were enough staff to support people. The provider made sure staff were suitable and fit to support people through recruitment checks. Once in post, staff received relevant training to help them meet people’s needs. They were supported by the provider to continuously improve their working practices.

Staff were trained to safeguard people from abuse and knew how to report concerns to the appropriate individual and/or authority. Risks to people had been assessed and staff had guidance on how these should be minimised to keep people safe. Staff followed good practice to ensure risks were minimised from poor hygiene and cleanliness when providing personal care and when preparing and handling food

People were helped to eat and drink sufficient amounts to meet their needs. Where staff were responsible for this, they supported people to take their prescribed medicines. Staff documented the support provided to people which kept others involved in people’s care up to date and informed. They worked with other healthcare professionals to ensure a joined-up approach to the support people received.

People knew how to make a complaint if needed and the provider had arrangements in place to deal with this. The provider recorded and investigated any accidents and incidents that occurred, which included keeping people involved and informed of the outcome.

The provider had aims and standards for the service and told people what they should expect from staff and the service in respect of the quality of care they received. All staff had clearly defined roles and duties and the registered manager understood their legal responsibilities regarding the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

The provider sought people’s views about how the service could be improved. They used people’s feedback along with learning from incidents and other checks of the service to monitor, review and improve the quality and safety of the support provided. The provider worked in partnership with other agencies such as local authorities funding people’s care to develop and improve the support provided.

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated ‘Good’ (16/08/2016). The service continues to meet the characteristics of a good service.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection to check that this service remained ‘Good’.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people receive safe, compassionate, high quality care. Further inspections will be planned in line with our inspection schedule or in response to concerns.

Exodus Health Care Services provides personal care to people living in their own homes. They currently provide personal care to approximately twelve people. The majority of people who receive a service from the agency live in the London Borough of Lambeth and are funded by them. Currently there are two people who fund their care themselves.

The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated regulations about how the service is run.

People were positive about the service they received from Exodus Health Care Services. People told us they knew their care workers well which meant they understood their needs. People and care workers told us if they had any issues they were comfortable talking to the registered manager or deputy, and knew their issues would be addressed.

Care plans were individualised and written in a way to maximise people’s independence. These plans were regularly reviewed so they reflected people’s current needs. The provider was flexible in their approach and could accommodate changes. They had a number of contingency plans in place to ensure the smooth running of the service in the event of an emergency situation.

The provider worked effectively with other services to ensure relevant information was shared in the interests of people receiving a service. The provider took time to make sure people were matched with care workers who could best suit their needs.

Care workers received training which was regularly refreshed so it was in line with current best practice. Their knowledge was regularly checked by the provider to make sure they were giving medicines as prescribed and providing care in line with best practice.

Prior to employment, the provider undertook a range of checks to make sure only suitable people were employed by the service. Care workers were knowledgeable about how to keep people safe and knew about issues of confidentiality.

People’s health was continually monitored and necessary action taken when required. Care workers ensured people received food and drink in line with their requirements.

The provider regularly monitored the quality of the service. They had monthly contact with people to make sure they remained satisfied with the service. They also had regular contact with care workers to make sure they felt supported to undertake their role and to ensure they understood the direction and vision of the agency.

Care workers sought consent from people before providing care. They worked in line with requirements laid out in the Mental Capacity Act (2005).

The service had identified risks to people and how these risks could be minimised. Accidents and incidents were recorded and monitored. The registered manager knew when they had responsibilities to notify CQC of significant events which may affect the running of the service.