Archived: Waltham Forest Overnight Care Service

Updated 13 February 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.

The inspection took place on 28 September 2017. This was an announced inspection. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of the inspection as this is a domiciliary care agency and we wanted to ensure the manager was available in the office to meet us.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector. We phoned people using the service and their relatives to ask them their views on service quality.

Prior to our inspection, we reviewed information we held about the service, including previous reports and notifications sent to us at the Care Quality Commission. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. We contacted the local authority about their views of the quality of care delivered by the service.

At the time of our inspection the service had four care staff who provided personal care to seven people. During our visit to the office we spoke with the manager, the regional manager and the care coordinator, and visited one person in their sheltered accommodation with their prior permission. We looked at four care plans and four staff personnel files including recruitment, training and supervision records, and staff rotas. We also reviewed the service’s accidents and incidents, safeguarding and complaints records, and care delivery records for people using the service.

Following our inspection visit, we spoke with one person, two relatives and two care staff. We reviewed the documents that were provided by the registered manager (on our request) after the inspection. These included one care plan, annual feedback survey analysis, policies and procedures and staff reference checks.

Updated 13 February 2018

The inspection took place on 28 September 2017. This was an announced inspection. This service had not been inspected since its registration on 25 September 2016.

Waltham Forest Overnight Care Service is a domiciliary care service run by Genesis Housing Association Limited. The service provided night time personal care support to older people living in their own homes and sheltered accommodation, and at the time of inspection seven people were receiving support.

The service did not have a registered manager and was in the process of recruiting a new manager. The service was managed by the service manager who had been in the post since October 2016. Following the inspection, the provider informed us that the service manager was undergoing the registered manager registration process with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

People told us they were happy with the service and felt safe with staff. Staff understood how to safeguard people against harm and abuse. People’s risk assessments gave staff information on risks involved in supporting people and how to provide safe care. There were sufficient numbers of staff and the service maintained a pool of bank staff in case of staff emergencies and absences. People were happy with staff’s punctuality and told us staff were reliable. Staff recruitment checks were in place and confirmed staff were suitable before they started working with vulnerable people. People using the service were not supported with medicines management as either they were able to self-medicate or their medicines needs were met by their relatives.

Staff were aware of people’s needs and abilities and people told us their needs were met. Staff received regular relevant training and supervision to do their jobs effectively. People did not require nutrition and hydration support. The management provided information and guidance on health and care services to people and their relatives as and when required.

People told us staff were caring and kind and treated them with dignity and respect. Staff were trained in equality, diversity and dignity in care. Care plans were comprehensive and recorded people’s individual likes, dislikes, needs and abilities. They provided information to staff on how to provide personalised care.

The service had systems and processes to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the care delivery however, these systems did not always identify gaps in the record keeping. The provider sought feedback from people and the analysis of the feedback showed people were satisfied with the service. The management visited people's homes to observe staff whilst providing care to people to ensure they were supported as per their care plans.

We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulation 2014. This breach was in relation to good governance.

You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.