Archived: Bonney Care Agency

Updated 27 September 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 checked 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 site visit started on 22 August 2018 and ended on 23 August 2018. We gave the service two working days’ notice of the inspection because we wanted to provide an opportunity for people using the service and their representatives to meet us and share their views.

The inspection site visit was carried out by one inspector.

We looked at the providers Statement of Purpose. This is a document providing information as to the aims and objectives of the service, the support and services it provides and to who.

We looked at the information held about the provider and the service including statutory notifications and enquiries relating to the service. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us. We also contacted the Local Authority for any information they held on the service. We used this information to help us plan this inspection.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We spoke with three people who used the service by telephone and with two family members by telephone or electronic mail on 28 August 2018.

We spoke with the registered manager, manager and care co-ordinator when we visited the office on 22 and 23 August 2018. We spoke with four members of staff by telephone on 29 August 2018.

We looked at the care plans and records of four people. We looked at three staff records, which included their recruitment, induction, on-going monitoring and training. We looked at the minutes of staff meetings and records related to the quality monitoring of the service.

Updated 27 September 2018

Bonney Care Agency provides care and support to people living in their own homes and in a supported living setting, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living, this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

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. At the time of the inspection 15 people received support within a supported living setting and 17 people living in their own home. People’s packages of care varied dependent upon their needs. Some people received continuous support over a 24-hour period, whilst others received support for a differing number of hours each day.

Bonney Care Agency had a registered manager. 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.

Bonney Care Agency previous comprehensive inspection was carried out by the Care Quality Commission and published on 4 August 2017. The overall rating for the service was requires improvement. This inspection has found the service has improved its rating from requires improvement to good.

People’s safety was promoted by staff who implemented the guidance as detailed within people’s risk assessments and care plans. People were supported by staff that had been recruited and had checks undertaken to ensure they were suitable for their role. People’s medicine was managed safely and people received their medicine on time.

People’s needs were assessed to ensure the service and staff could provide the support and care required. We found, people were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrict way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People receiving a service within their home were encouraged to maintain their independence, whilst people living within a supported living complex were encouraged to develop skills to increase their independence and confidence.

Staff received support from the management team, through supervision and checks to ensure they were competent to carry out their roles effective. Staff received the training they needed to provide safe and effective care to people. The registered manager was committed to the training and development of staff.

People using the service and family members spoke of the positive relationships they had developed with staff. People’s comments and that of their family members evidence how these relationships had supported people, in gaining confidence to make decisions for themselves and enabling them to remain within their own home. People’s dignity and privacy was promoted and people were aware of their right to confidentiality.

People’s views, and in some instances, those of their family members had been sought to develop their care and support plans. Concerns and complaints had been investigated and documents supported this. People’s care plans had considered the individual needs of each person and the role of staff in meeting these. People residing in supported living complexes were supported by staff to access a range of activities within the community and take part in tasks of daily living.

People’s communication needs were considered when developing care plans, which included information as to how people communicated. This information was used by staff to ensure people were able to and were encouraged to express their views.

Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the care being provided, which included seeking the views of those using the service, family members and staff. A range of audits were undertaken to evidence the quality of the care and the accuracy of records used to record people’s care and support. There was an open and transparent approach to the management of the service, which included regular team meetings where information was shared and ideas for improvement sought and discussed. External stakeholders who had an interest in the safety and quality of the service being provided had found the service to be complaint when measured against their criteria.

The providers website provided information to people using the service, their family members and the wider public on a range of topics, which included information about the services provided. The website displays the rating awarded by CQC inspections.