Background to this inspection
Updated
9 October 2019
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
This inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Service description
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 1 weeks’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
Before this inspection, we looked at the information we already held about the service. This included reviewing notifications we had received from the service. Notifications are information about important events the service is required to send us by law.
We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.
During the inspection
We spoke to five people who use the service and one relative about their experience of the care provided. We spoke to six members of staff, this included care staff, the financial manager and the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. These included four care plans, two staff files and a variety of records relating to the management of the service.
Updated
9 October 2019
About the service
Classic Care (Homecare Services) Ltd is a domiciliary care service. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
We found the service to be in breach of two regulations. These were in relation to the need for consent and good governance.
We made recommendations about the way the service manages medicines.
Medicines were not managed safely. Records were not always completed accurately, and medicine errors were not always identified or acted on in a timely manner.
People were not supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did not always support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did not support this practice.
The service provided training for staff however staff told us they did not always have enough training to do their role effectively.
Quality assurance systems were not always effective; they failed to identify concerns regarding safe medicine management, mental capacity assessments and effective monitoring of accidents and incidents.
People were cared for by staff who were recruited safely and in line with national guidance. The service had appropriate safeguarding policies in place and staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding principles.
People who used the service told us staff treated them with kindness and listened to them. Care plans were written in partnership with people and people told us they felt their wishes were listened to in regards to their care.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 16 January 2017)
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Enforcement
We have identified breaches in relation to safe care and treatment, consent and good governance at this inspection.
Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
information we may inspect sooner.