Archived: Penzance STEPS

Updated 6 February 2019

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check 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 07 and 08 January 2019. The provider was given 48 hours' notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to ensure that the someone would be present to support the inspection. The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.

Before the inspection we reviewed information, we kept about the service and previous inspection reports. This included notifications of incidents. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. This enabled us to ensure we were addressing potential areas of concern. We reviewed the Provider Information Record (PIR). The PIR provides key information about the service, what the service does well and the improvements the provider plans to make.

During the inspection we looked at three people's care records and risk assessments, three staff files, medicines records and other documentation relating to the management of the service.

We spoke with the registered manager, four team leaders and six support workers. We visited a person in their own home and spoke with three people using the service on the telephone. We asked the views of two professionals following the inspection visit.

Updated 6 February 2019

This inspection visit took place on 07 January 2019. It was announced 48 hours in advance in accordance with the Care Quality Commission’s current procedures for inspecting domiciliary care services. Our last inspection of the service was carried out in July 2016. At that inspection we rated the service as good. At this inspection we found the service remained good.

Penzance STEPS (Short Term Enablement and Planning Service) is registered to provide personal care to people in their own homes. The service provides care visits for periods of up to six weeks. The aim of the service is to re-enable people to maximise and re-gain their independence, within their own home, after a period of illness and/or hospital stay. The service provides support to adults of all ages. On the days of the inspection the service was providing personal care to 23 people. Referrals for packages of care were made to the service by health and social care professionals. These included; hospital discharge teams, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.

There was a registered manager in post who was responsible for the day-to-day running of 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People using the service consistently told us they felt safe and staff were caring and treated them well. They told us staff were like their family and they trusted them implicitly. Safeguarding adults’ procedures were in place and staff understood their responsibilities to safeguard people from abuse.

Potential risks to people's safety and wellbeing had been assessed and managed. People received their medicines safely.

Staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) to ensure people’s rights were protected.

Recruitment and selection was carried out safely with appropriate checks made before new staff could start working for the service. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience needed to care for people. They received training to carry out their role and were knowledgeable about how to support and care for people. They had the skills, knowledge and experience to provide safe and effective support.

Staff supported people with medicines safely. People able to manage their own medicines were encouraged to do so.

Care plans were person centred and included details of the agreed support required at each visit. Staff knew people and their needs well and could describe to us the support each person required.

Staff supported people to have a nutritious dietary and fluid intake, assisting them to prepare and eat food and drinks as they needed. Where people required specialist support with their dietary needs staff had received the training required to support them.

People were involved in the development and review of their care plans and could influence the delivery of their care. Staff had up to date information about people’s needs and wishes and there were effective electronic systems in place to quickly respond when needs changed. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and their healthcare needs were monitored as appropriate.

A number of audits were undertaken to ensure the on-going quality of the service was monitored appropriately and lessons were learned from issues that occurred. Surveys were completed with people who used the service and their relatives. Where issues or concerns were identified, the manager used this as an opportunity for change to improve care for people.

The service communicated well with people, relatives and staff. We saw evidence of several ways this was done including memo’s, newsletters and spot-checks.