SureCare Hertfordshire

Updated 1 November 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 commenced on 25 September 2018 and was announced. The provider was given 24 hours' notice of our intended inspection because the location provides care and support to people living in their own homes and we needed to be sure that appropriate senior staff would be available to assist with our inspection.

Inspection site visit activity started on 25 September and ended on 1 October 2018. It included speaking to and receiving feedback from people who used the service and their relatives and speaking to member of staff. Before the inspection we looked at all the information that we had about the service. This included a Provider Information Return (PIR) which is a form that tells us about the service what they do well and any improvements they intend to make. We also reviewed information within notifications received by us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us. We also requested feedback from representatives of a local authority contracts team, commissioners of the service and local safeguarding teams.

In total we received feedback from three relatives, two people who used the service and five staff members. We spoke with the registered manager, provider and a member of the provider management team responsible for human resources and marketing. We reviewed three care records, three recruitment files, along with other records relevant to the running of the service. This included quality assurance audits, training and records relating to the overall management of the service.

We visited the office location on 25 September 2018 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Updated 1 November 2018

This inspection commenced on 25 September 2018. This was the first inspection since the service registered with CQC on 27 October 2017.

SureCare Hertfordshire is a domiciliary care service which provides care and support to people living in their own homes in the community. This assists them to live as independently as possible. At the time of this inspection, 14 people were being supported by the service.

Not everyone using SureCare Hertfordshire receives 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.

People were supported by staff who had received training on how to keep people safe from potential harm. Risks were assessed and measures put in place to help reduce the risk of avoidable harm.

There were robust measures in place to ensure pre-employment checks were completed which included obtaining a disclosure and barring check (DBS), the taking up of a minimum of two references and checking other documentation to check their they were of good character and suited to work in this type of service. There were sufficient staff to ensure people’s needs were met safely.

Medicines were managed safely by trained and competent staff. The provider had effective procedures in place to help prevent the spread and control of infections. There were systems in place to learn from any accident or incidents and to share learning.

People's needs were assessed and met effectively by staff who had the right training, skills and support. People were encouraged to eat and drink a healthy, balanced diet to help them remain healthy. People were enabled to access a range of healthcare services when required.

People were asked to consent to their care plan and were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible. The service operated within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

People were cared for by staff who were kind and caring and they were treated with compassion. Staff treated people with dignity and respect and maintained their privacy. Staff encouraged people to make their own choices about things that were important to them and to maximise their independence. People were involved with the development and review of their care plans.

Staff provided care that was person-centred and tailored to people’s individual needs. People's care arrangements took account of people's wishes and choices, including their likes and dislikes, and what was important to them. Staff encouraged people to maintain relationships that were important to them. Staff encouraged people to participate in pursue hobbies and engage in community events to reduce the risk of social isolation.

People knew how to raise a concern through the complaints policy. There was a process in place to receive and manage people's feedback including compliments or suggestions for improvement.

The registered manager demonstrated values based leadership which was caring and compassionate. There were established quality assurance systems and audits in place to monitor the service and make continual improvement.