Dignity Domiciliary Care

Updated 1 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 checked 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 was an announced inspection that took place on 18 April 2018. 48 hours’ notice of the inspection was given because the service is a domiciliary care agency 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.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This 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. We also checked notifications made to us by the provider, safeguarding alerts raised regarding people living at the home and information we held on our database about the service and provider.

There were two people receiving a service and two staff. During the inspection, we contacted two people and one member of staff. We also spoke with the registered manager during the office visit.

We looked at one person’s care plan and two staff files. We also checked records, policies and procedures and maintenance and quality assurance systems.

Updated 1 June 2018

This was an announced inspection that took place on 18 April 2018.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It is located in the Stockwell area and covers south London.

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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

At the last inspection in January 2017 the overall rating was requires improvement and the key questions of safe and well-led required improvement. The key questions for effective, caring and responsive were rated good.

We asked the provider to take action to make improvements regarding the recording of medicine administered to people and this action has been completed. In addition we asked the provider to make improvements to the service quality audits and this action has been completed.

The two people receiving a service were satisfied with the care and support they received.

The records were up to date and covered all aspects of the care and support people received, the support choices they had made and identified that they were being met. They contained clearly recorded, fully completed, and regularly reviewed information that enabled staff to perform their duties.

Staff were aware of their responsibilities regarding the tasks they performed, the people they supported and the way they liked to be supported. Staff had appropriate skills and provided care and support in a professional, friendly and kind way that was focussed on people as individuals. Staff knew that they must treat people equally and respect their diversity and human rights.

Staff received appropriate training, were knowledgeable and made themselves accessible to the people and their relatives. They said the organisation was a good place to work; they enjoyed their work and had access to good training and support.

People were encouraged to discuss health and other needs with staff who passed on agreed information to GP’s and other community based health professionals, if required.

Staff protected people from nutrition and hydration associated risks by giving advice about healthy food options and balanced diets whilst still making sure their likes, dislikes and preferences were met.

The agency were aware of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and their responsibilities regarding it.

The registered manager was approachable, responsive, encouraged feedback from the person and consistently monitored and assessed the quality of the service provided.