Easy Living Solutions

Updated 19 November 2020

The inspection

As part of a pilot into virtual inspections of domiciliary and extra-care housing services, the Care Quality Commission conducted an inspection of this provider on 22, 23 and 26 October 2020. The inspection was carried out with the consent of the provider and was part of a pilot to gather information to inform CQC whether it might be possible to conduct inspections in a different way in the future. We completed this inspection using virtual methods and online tools such as electronic file sharing, video calls and phone calls to gather the information we rely on to form a judgement on the care and support provided. At no time did we visit the provider’s or location’s office as we usually would when conducting an inspection.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by a lead inspector, a medicines 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.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced.

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. Inspection activity started on 22 October 2020 and ended on 26 October 2020.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we held about the service and sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager and five care staff and reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care plans and five people’s medicines records including electronic Medicines Administration Records (MAR) charts, care plans and risk assessments. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We looked at a variety of records relating to the governance arrangements and management of the service, including policies and procedures. We spoke with seven people and six relatives during the inspection to gain feedback about the service they received.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We spoke with one professional to gain their views about the service.

Updated 19 November 2020

This report was created as part of a pilot which looked at new and innovative ways of fulfilling CQC’s regulatory obligations and responding to risk in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. This was conducted with the consent of the provider. Unless the report says otherwise, we obtained the information in it without visiting the Provider.

About the service

Easy Living Solutions is a domiciliary care service that provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes. The service supported 22 people at the time of the inspection.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Systems used by the registered manager to monitor the service had not been fully embedded and recorded. We found no impact on the care being delivered as the registered manager had a good insight into the service and staff were knowledgeable about people’s needs.

The registered manager was aware that further improvements were needed in the details of some people’s care needs, risk assessments, medicines and the documentation of some areas of the management of staff. The registered manager planned to analyse monitoring reports to enable them to identify trends and concerns and to drive improvement. We have made a recommendation about the services governance processes.

Staff followed infection control guidance and had access to personal protective equipment. Staff had completed safeguarding adults training and knew how to keep people safe and report concerns.

People told us staff were kind and caring and that they felt safe due to the support they received from staff.

People and their relatives felt confident in the staff's ability and knowledge to support them. Staff had a good understanding of the needs and risks of people they supported and had access to ongoing training and supervision. There were enough staff to provide people with the care and support they needed.

People and their relatives told us that they were involved in their initial assessment and in making decisions about their care. They told us staff were consistently kind and very caring.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good. (published 24 October 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned pilot virtual inspection. The report was created as part of a pilot which looked at new and innovative ways of fulfilling CQC’s regulatory obligations and responding to risk in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. This was conducted with the consent of the provider. Unless the report says otherwise, we obtained the information in it without visiting the Provider.

The pilot inspection considered the key questions of safe and well-led and provide a rating for those key questions. Only parts of the effective, caring and responsive key questions were considered, and therefore the ratings for these key questions are those awarded at the last inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.