Archived: Mears Care Limited Wallsend

Updated 7 December 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.

We visited the service on 13 November 2018. We made telephone calls to people who used the service on 14 and 15 November 2018. The inspection was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours' notice to make sure that staff would be available at the office. The inspection team consisted of one adult social care inspector and two experts by experience. An expert by experience is someone who has experienced the type of service we are inspecting.

Before our inspection we reviewed all the information we held about the service. We also examined notifications received by the CQC. Notifications are changes, events or incidents that the provider is legally obliged to send us within the required timescales. We contacted professionals in local authority commissioning teams, safeguarding teams and Healthwatch. Healthwatch are a consumer group who champion the rights of people using healthcare services.

Before the inspection the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This 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 seven members of staff: the registered manager, a senior carer, a care co-ordinator and four care staff. We looked at four people’s care plans, risk assessments, rota and information sharing systems, medicines documentation, staff training and recruitment documentation and quality assurance systems. Following the inspection we spoke with 22 people who used the service and four relatives. We also spoke with three health and social care professionals.

Updated 7 December 2018

Mears Care Limited Wallsend provides personal care to mainly older adults in their own homes. At the time of inspection there were 130 people using the service.

We previously inspected Mears Care in September 2017, at which time the service was in breach of regulations 9, 13, 17 and 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. At the previous inspection we rated the service as requires improvement. At this inspection, we found there had been improvements in all areas and the service had improved to good. The service was no longer in breach of the regulations.

There was a registered manager in place with suitable experience and knowledge 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.’

The registered manager had ensured a range of improvements had been made, specifically with regard to the implementation of the electronic call monitoring system and rota planning system. We found instances of missed or delayed calls had been significantly reduced.

People who used the service felt safe and had confidence in the service.

There were risk assessments in place to ensure staff knew how to keep people safe. These were regularly reviewed. Some risk assessments would benefit from more personalised details.

Where staff administered medicines they had been appropriately trained. Staff competence in this regard was regularly checked and reminders shared with all staff where common errors or poor practice were identified.

Staff were aware of their safeguarding responsibilities and understood the risks people faced. They also understood the risks of lone working and were well supported by the provider in this regard.

No concerns were raised with us by external professionals regarding the service.

Rota planning was effective and well managed. Out of hours on call arrangements were in place. Staff mobile phones were used to log in and out of calls and this system was working well.

There was effective liaison with external professionals to ensure people’s needs could be reviewed and met.

Staff were well supported by way of induction, ongoing training and support and staff meetings.

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.

Continuity of care was generally good particularly given the higher volume of shorter calls the provider undertook.

Staff treated people in a dignified way and feedback was consistently strong in this regard.

The registered manager had sent surveys to all people who used the service, reviewed responses, responded to people and put a plan in place to address any concerns.

Care files were well-ordered and logical and contained sufficient person-centred detail.

People’s changing needs were well met. The service had provided end of life care previously and worked well with external nurses to ensure people were supported in a consistent, dignified way.

The management of complaints had improved since our last inspection. All people who used the service and their relatives knew how to raise concern. Complaints were comprehensively addressed.

The registered manager was receptive to feedback and was aware of aspects of best practice.

The culture was one of meeting people’s care needs well, whilst also trying to ensure this was done in a positive, person-centred way, rather than a task-focussed way.

The registered manager had ensured the required improvements to the service had been made.