Archived: Reading Crossroads Also known as TuVida

Reading Crossroads is a domiciliary care service. The primary focus of this flexible and varied service is to assist carers so that they are able to continue to provide support to the people they care for. The service provides care workers for people living in Reading and the surrounding areas. Not everyone using the service receives regulated activity. Approximately 70 people currently receive a service. However, only eight of those are provided with a regulated activity. The Care Quality Commission only inspects the service being received by people provided with personal care, help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Reading Crossroads provide a service to people with a variety of needs when people's main carer is not available.

At the last inspection, on 21 December 2015, the service was rated as good in all domains and therefore overall good. At this inspection we found the service was still rated as overall good.

Why the service is rated good.

There was a registered manager running the service. 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.

People, staff and visitors continued to be protected from harm. Care workers followed the medication procedure and accurately recorded medicines given. The registered manager followed a robust recruitment process and ensured care workers were safe and suitable to work with people. People benefitted from adequate staffing because the service did not accept a package of care unless they were able to provide staffing to meet the individual’s needs safely.

Safety was maintained by staff who had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults and health and safety policies and procedures. Staff understood how to protect the people in their care and knew what action to take if they identified any concerns. General risks and risks to individuals were identified and appropriate action was taken to reduce them, as far as possible.

Care workers continued to be appropriately trained and supported to make sure they could meet people’s varied needs. They were effective in meeting people’s needs as described in plans of care. The service worked closely with health and other professionals to ensure they were able to meet people’s needs, as appropriate.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and care workers provided care in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice. The service was not depriving anyone of their liberty and was fully aware of the action they would need to take should it become necessary.

Care workers remained kind, respectful and understanding. They built caring relationships with carers and the cared for to enable them to meet their needs in a sensitive and compassionate way. The service and care workers continued to be aware of people’s equality and diversity needs and endeavoured to meet them.

The service remained person centred and responsive to individual’s needs. It was exceptionally flexible and adapted care packages to meet people’s individualised and specific needs. People’s needs were regularly reviewed and up-dated to ensure the care provided was appropriate.

The registered manager and the management team ensured the service was well-led. The management team was described as approachable and supportive to people and care workers. The registered manager and care staff team were committed to ensuring there was no discrimination relating to staff or people in the service. The quality of care the service provided was assessed, reviewed and continually improved.

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The service had been ‘merged’ with a new provider in October 2015. This had no impact on the service being offered to people who continued to receive their usual support and care. There were approximately 140 people, in total using the service at the time of the inspection. Some of the 140 people did not receive a service that required registration with the Care Quality Commission.

There is a registered manager running the service. 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.

People told us they felt very safe using the service. Staff had been properly trained and knew how to protect people in their care. There were enough staff who had been safely recruited to provide appropriate care to people. All risk were identified and managed as safely as possible.

Staff were supported by management to offer the best care they could to people. Care staff arrived on time and stayed their allocated time. There were very few missed calls and none reported in the previous three months. People were treated with respect and dignity and their views were listened to.

People were offered good care by consistent staff who offered continuity of care and who knew them well. Staff were described as, ‘‘very caring, inspiring and up-lifting’’.

People who use the service and care staff’s views were listened to. Staff told us that the management team were open and responsive and they were confident to express their views. The service monitored the quality of care and made any necessary improvements.