Archived: Carewatch (Norwich)

Updated 24 September 2016

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.

The inspection took place on 17 and 18 August 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service. Notice was given to ensure the management team was available to assist our inspection. The inspection was carried out by one inspector and an ‘expert by experience.’ An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

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. We reviewed this as part of our inspection planning.

Before the inspection we viewed all of the information we had about the service. This included statutory notifications that the provider had sent us in the last year. A statutory notification contains information about significant events that affect people’s safety, which the provider is required to send to us by law. We also contacted the local quality assurance team, local authority safeguarding team and asked their views on the service.

During the inspection we visited the service’s office, spoke with eight people who used the service and four relatives. We also spoke with the registered manager, office staff including a field care supervisor, the regional trainer and six care staff.

We looked at the care records for 11 people who used the service and this included the medicines administration records where applicable. We also viewed records relating to the management of the service. These included risk assessments, two staff recruitment files, training records, accidents and incidents records, compliments and complaints.

Updated 24 September 2016

The inspection took place on 17 and 18 of August 2016. We contacted the service before we visited to announce the inspection. This was because the service provides a domiciliary care service to people in their own homes. We wanted to ensure that the manager was available to speak with us.

Carewatch Norwich provides domiciliary care to around 76 people who live in their own homes in the Norwich area. There are other Carewatch branches in central Norfolk. However, these are separately registered. This inspection relates to the Norwich branch only.

There was a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 service had a system in place to support people to take their medicines as the prescriber had intended. However this system was not always followed by care staff.

People were supported by staff that were knowledgeable in their roles and demonstrated the skills required. Staff had been safely recruited. There was a robust training system in place delivered by an experienced trainer. Staff had a thorough induction to the service and their role. Staff had been selected for their motivation to care for people. Staff were committed to provide a good service to people and felt supported to do this.

Staff demonstrated they understood how to prevent and protect people from the risk of abuse. Staff were mindful of this issue. The service had procedures in place to report any safeguarding concerns to the local authority. People and staff were protected from the potential risk of harm as the service had identified and assessed the risks people faced. People had assessments which were person centred.

People benefited from staff who felt valued by the service. Staff had confidence in the management team and the service they were providing. People told us they were treated in a respectful, compassionate and caring manner. People said they generally saw the same care staff at regular times, and did not have missed visits.

Staff demonstrated that they understood the importance of promoting people’s dignity, privacy and independence. They gave many examples of a caring and empathetic approach to the people they supported. Staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and demonstrated they understood the importance of gaining people’s consent before assisting them.

Staff assisted people, where necessary, to access healthcare services. Staff had a good understanding of people’s healthcare needs. Staff demonstrated they had the knowledge to manage emergency situations, should they arise.

Staff supported people to avoid social isolation. People felt comfortable about contacting the service and raising any issues they may have had. There was a complaints process in place for people to follow if they wanted to make a complaint. Staff also felt comfortable in raising any concerns they had.

The manager demonstrated a commitment to the service and its future. Staff had confidence in the manager. The manager was accessible and the provider encouraged people to comment on the service they provided. The manager had a good knowledge of the people the service supported and their needs, despite also being a regional manager for the provider.