Coast Community Care

Updated 30 June 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.

This site inspection took place on 1 and 5 June 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be available to support the inspection. We also visited two people in their home on the 7 June 2018 accompanied by the deputy manager of Coast Home Care.

The inspection was carried out by an inspector and telephone calls were made on the 1 June 2018 to people and their relatives by an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has had experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

We reviewed information we held about the service, this included the results of questionnaires CQC sent to people, their relatives and community professionals and information received from the provider which they are required to send us by law. We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). 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 visited the office location on 1 and 5 June 2018 to see the registered manager and to review care records and policies and procedures. In addition to visiting two people in their homes, we also had telephone calls with two other people. At the office we spoke with the registered manager, provider, deputy manager and two members of staff. We read care plans for three people, medicines records and the records of accidents and incidents, complaints and safeguarding. We looked at records of audits and surveys. We looked at records of staff training and supervision. We looked at a selection of policies and procedures and health and safety audits. We also looked at minutes of staff meetings and evidence of partnership working with external organisations. We also spoke with two external professionals.

Updated 30 June 2018

We carried out this announced site inspection on the 1, 5 and 7 June 2018.

The registered manager was given 48 hours' notice of the inspection as we needed to be sure that the office was open and staff would be available to speak with us.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older adults. Not everyone using Coast Home Care receives a regulated activity; 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 our inspection, 14 people were supported with their personal care needs by the service.

Coast Home Care was registered in March 2017. This was their first New Approach Inspection and rating.

There was a registered manager in post. 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 and their relatives placed great value on the friendships that they developed with staff. They felt that staff went beyond all expectations in the care and support that staff provided. Staff would often visit people on their day off to say hello and to spend social time with them.

People were positive about the care provided by the service and said that they felt safe receiving care in their homes. One person said, “Amazing staff, make sure I’m safe and check my life line button before they leave.” Staff recognised the signs of potential abuse and knew the reporting system to keep people safe. People were placed at the centre of their care and their risks were assessed and reviewed regularly to ensure care remained appropriate to meet their needs. There were sufficient numbers of trained staff who had the appropriate recruitment checks to ensure they were suitable for their role. Staff arrived on time for their visits and the right numbers of staff were available to provide the support people needed. People received their medicines as prescribed by staff who had been assessed as competent to give people’s medicines safely.

People and their relatives were involved in all decisions about how they wanted their care and support needs met. People spoke positively about the relationships they had with staff. Staff ensured people consented to the care they received and were aware of how to respect people's choices and rights. People were supported to have sufficient to eat and drink and were encouraged to have a balanced diet. People were supported to access healthcare services when required. People told us staff had the skills and knowledge required to support them. Staff had received training relevant to their role.

People said staff went above and beyond what was expected from them. People and their relatives told us staff and the management team as being extremely kind, caring and friendly. People were placed at the centre of their care and people told us they felt listened to by the staff who supported them. People told us staff always respected their privacy and dignity when providing care and where supported to develop their independence. One person said, “They are very polite and respectful, always encouraging when I need it.”

People were encouraged to give their feedback and views about the quality of the service they received. Communication systems used to share information about people's care and support needs ensured that staff were responsive to any changes. There were systems in place to record and investigate concerns with details of the investigation and outcomes. This meant people were assured concerns and issues were dealt with appropriately. People were encouraged to give their feedback and views about the quality of the service they received. Staff knew people well and people received care in a way they wished to receive care. Care records were personalised, regularly reviewed and updated to ensure they were reflective of people's current needs.

People said the service was well run. Comments included, “Very well run, no complaints at all,” and “Very organised and punctual.” The leadership within the service was strong and an open and a positive culture was promoted. People were supported by caring committed staff. Staff said they felt valued and were listened to by the management team. Staff were confident in their roles and were aware of their responsibilities and said they had access to support and training they needed. Effective quality audit checks were completed regularly to monitor the quality of the service provided. People were happy to recommend the service to family and friends based on their own experiences.