First4Homecare Ltd

Updated 22 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.

This inspection took place on 21 December 2017 and 2 January 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the registered manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

Inspection site visit activity started on 21 December 2017 and ended on 2 January 2018. It included visiting two people in their own homes and the agency office. We also telephoned one care worker. We visited the office location on 21 December 2017 and 2 January 2018 to see the registered manager and office staff and to review care records, policies and procedures.

We reviewed the information sent to us in the provider information return (PIR). The PIR 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. Before this inspection we reviewed information we have about the service including notifications. A notification is a report about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector. We spoke with the two people using the service when we visited them and one relative, the registered manager, nominated individual, the franchise support manager and one senior care worker. Following the inspection we spoke on the telephone to one care worker. We reviewed three care records for people who received personal care and checked two records relating to staff recruitment and training and quality assurance records. We also contacted one social care professional involved with the service.

Updated 22 February 2018

This inspection took place on the 21 December 2017 and 2 January 2018 and was announced.

First4Homcare Limited is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care and support for ten people in their own homes in the community. It provides a service to older people. First4Homecare is a franchise of Heritage Healthcare Limited and is supported by the Franchise Company. This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered with CQC in December 2016.

Not everyone using First4Homcare receives regulated activity. CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’ and help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

There was 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.

The service provided care and support which was personalised and responsive to people’s needs.

Risks to people’s safety were identified, assessed and appropriate action was taken. Staff had completed safeguarding adults training and knew how to keep people safe and report concerns. There were thorough recruitment checks completed to help ensure suitable staff were employed to care and support people.

People were supported to maintain good health and be involved in decisions about their health. Care workers alerted healthcare professionals about people’s health when necessary and monitored their health. Staff had the knowledge and skills to carry out their roles and their training was updated. Staff knew people well and treated them with dignity and respect. One person told us the staff were excellent and they were never rushed.

Quality assurance procedures were used to monitor and improve the service for people and they were included in developing their care and support. Feedback from people and their relatives or supporters was used to improve the service.