Rest Assured Homecare Services

Updated 13 October 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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 inspection took place on 15 and 17 August 2017.

The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be available.

The inspection team consisted of one adult social care inspector. Prior to inspection we reviewed information we held about the service. This included information received from statutory notifications since the last inspection, feedback from the local authority and registration information. We also asked the service to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR 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.

During the inspection we spoke with three people who used the service over the phone, and spoke to two people and two relatives face to face. We also spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager and three care staff. We looked at eight people’s care records, including care plans and medication records. We also looked at other documents relevant to the delivery of services, including staff recruitment files, accident and incident logs and quality audits carried out by the provider.

Updated 13 October 2017

We inspected Rest Assured Homecare Services on 16 and 18 August 2017. At our last inspection in July 2016 we rated the service ‘requires improvement’, with one breach in relation to the recording of medicines. At this inspection we found the service had made the required improvements.

We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of our intention to undertake an inspection. This was because the organisation provides a domiciliary care service to people in their homes; we needed to be sure that someone would be available at the office.

The service is a domiciliary care agency which is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection the service supported 29 people.

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.

Medicine records were detailed. Medicines were delivered safely by trained staff who were regularly observed by senior staff to ensure they were meeting the required standards.

The service carried out appropriate risk assessments, including environmental and medicines risk assessments, to guide staff on how to care for people in a safe way.

There were enough staff to deliver care, and staff were recruited safely.

Everyone we spoke with would recommend the service. Staff were positive about the service they provided and the people they supported.

People told us staff treated them with dignity and respect. Staff knew people’s likes and dislikes, and were always conscious that the focus of care had to be what the person wanted, with special consideration given towards people’s personalities and beliefs.

People’s needs were assessed to identify what support could be provided. Care records were person centred, and gave consideration to their personal choices and religious and cultural needs.

Staff were given a comprehensive induction to prepare them for their role and training was refreshed annually, with the opportunity for staff to request additional training when they felt this would improve their skills.

People told us the service was reliable and staff responded to their needs appropriately, for example if a person did not want a visit at a particular time for personal reasons this was always respected.

Staff were knowledgeable about how to prevent people from risk of harm and how to report safeguarding incidents appropriately.

There was a positive working culture, staff told us they were supported by a senior team who worked closely with them and conducted regular supervisions, appraisals and spot checks.

The registered manager and staff we spoke with understood their responsibility in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

There was a complaints process which was advertised in people’s care plans. People told us they were confident they would speak up if they had concerns or complaints.

There were robust systems in place to monitor and improve service delivery.