Gordon Care Services Limited

Updated 31 January 2018

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 01 and 07 December 2017. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of our visit on 01 December and arranged with them to return on 07 December to complete the inspection. We gave the service notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the registered manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

We visited the office location on 01 and 07 December 2017 to see the registered manager and to review care records and policies and procedures. One inspector carried out the inspection.

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the provider and the service. This included statutory notifications the provider sent us about significant incidents or events that affected people using the service and information the provider sent us in their Provider Information Return dated 4 November 2017. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During our visits to the provider’s office we looked at care records and risk assessments for three people using the service, staff recruitment and training records for three care workers and other records related to the day to day running of the service. This included records of complaints and accidents and incidents, the provider’s policies and procedures and checks and audits they carried out to monitor quality in the service and make improvements.

Following the inspection we spoke with the relatives of three people using the service and contacted 12 care assistants and nine health and social care professionals for their views on the service. We received comments from five care assistants.

Updated 31 January 2018

This inspection took place on 01 and 07 December 2017. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of our visit on 01 December and arranged with them to return on 07 December to complete the inspection. This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered in November 2015.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to younger disabled adults and children with a disability. When we inspected the service was providing personal care to two adults and five children. The provider’s Nominated Individual was also the registered manager 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Not everyone using Gordon Care Services Limited receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

The provider had systems to safeguard people from harm and abuse. Care workers completed safeguarding training and knew how to report any concerns.

The provider assessed possible risks to people using the service and developed action plans to mitigate any risks they identified.

There were sufficient staff employed to provide care and support and where people needed support from more than one care worker, the registered manager arranged this. They also carried out checks on new staff to make sure they were suitable to work with people using the service.

Where people needed support with their medicines, the registered manager ensured they received these as prescribed and safely.

Care workers had access to personal protective equipment for the prevention and control of infection.

The registered manager referred to guidance from the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) to make sure they followed up to date guidance.

Staff completed the training they needed to provide effective care and support to people using the service.

Where people needed support with their health care or nutritional needs, their care workers provided this.

The provider worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and made sure they obtained people’s consent to the care and support they received.

People using the service or their relatives told us their care workers were kind and caring. They also said care workers treated people with respect.

People using the service received care and support that was personalised and responsive to their needs.

The provider had systems to respond to complaints they received. People using the service told us they knew how to make a complaint.

The registered manager promoted a culture that was person centred, open and inclusive. People using the service told us they felt the service was well managed.

People using the service and staff were involved in reviewing the care and support people received. Care workers told us they were able to comment on the service and the manager listened to their views.

The registered manager carried out checks and audits to monitor quality in the service and make improvements.