Archived: Headway Suffolk Ltd Also known as Ipswich and East Suffolk Headway

Updated 21 December 2016

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 15 November 2016 when we visited the provider’s office. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of our inspection because we needed to be sure there would be someone in the office when we arrived. The inspection was carried out by one inspector and an expert by experience who contacted people by telephone to gather their feedback about the service. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before the inspection, we reviewed the completed Provider Information Return (PIR) which the provider had sent to us. The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service such as, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed information we held about the service such as notifications. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

During the inspection, we spoke with three people and three relatives of people who used the service to gain their feedback about the quality of care provided. We also spoke with five members of the care staff, two co-ordinators, the deputy manager, the chief executive officer (CEO) and the registered manager.

We reviewed the care records and risk assessments of three people who used the service, and we looked at the recruitment and training records of three members of staff. We also reviewed information on how the quality of the service, including the handling of complaints, was monitored and managed.

Updated 21 December 2016

The inspection took place on 15 November 2016 and was announced to make sure there was someone available at the provider’s offices. We last inspected this service on 31 October 2013 and found that the provider was meeting the legal requirements in the areas we looked at.

Headway Suffolk Limited is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care and support to people who live in their own homes. There were eight people using the service at the time of our inspection.

The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 were safe using the service because staff were trained in safeguarding and they knew how to keep people safe from avoidable harm. There was enough staff to safely meet people’s needs. People had individualised risk assessments that gave guidance to staff on keeping them safe and their medicines were managed appropriately, where required. The provider had policies and procedures in place for the safe recruitment of new staff.

Staff were knowledgeable about people’s care needs and were trained to meet these needs. They sought people’s consent before providing care, and they understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were supported with the preparation of their food and drinks.

People were able to express their views and be actively involved in making decisions about their care. Staff were caring, friendly and supportive. They were also respectful of people’s dignity and privacy. People’s needs had been identified prior to them starting to use the service, and were reviewed regularly. People were supported in a personalised way and they all had individualised care plans in place.

Staff were supported in their role and to take part in the development of the service. Regular audits and surveys were carried out to monitor and manage the quality of the service.