Church Road

Updated 27 March 2019

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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission, who was also the provider. This means that they are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

The inspection team consisted of one adult social care inspector. An expert-by-experience assisted with the inspection by making telephone calls to people and their relatives on 6 February 2019. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Information was gathered and reviewed before the inspection by looking at notifications the provider had made to us about important events and the Provider Information Return (PIR), as well as asking for the views of local commissioners of the service and the local safeguarding teams. The PIR is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the manager could be 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 5 February 2019 and ended on 8 February 2019. We visited the office location on 5 and 6 February to see the manager and office staff and to review care records and policies and procedures. We visited people in their own homes on 8 February 2019 to gather their views about the care being provided.

The service provides support for 39 people. During our inspection we spoke with 10 people using the service and three relatives over the telephone and visited a further five people in their own homes. We spoke with four staff and the registered manager. We reviewed the care records of four people to see how their care was planned and delivered. We looked at recruitment, training and supervision records for four staff. We also looked at records which supported the registered manager to monitor the quality and management of the service.

Updated 27 March 2019

37 Westminster Road, known as A Star Care at Home, is a domiciliary care service providing a service to 35 people living in their own home. This announced inspection took place on 5, 6 and 8 February 2019.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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.

People referred to the service as A Star Care at Home and therefore we have used that name in this report. Not everyone using A Star Care at Home 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.

Staff had been trained in safeguarding people. There were procedures in place to follow in an emergency. Staff knew what action to take if they identified any safety concerns during their work.

General risks posed to individuals were identified so staff had the information they needed to support people safely. Staff and records confirmed that there were enough staff to meet peoples care needs.

The service followed a recruitment process which ensured staff were recruited safely. Staff had received training to ensure that their skills were updated with current knowledge and there were plans to expand this training in the future.

People's care needs were regularly reviewed to ensure the care provided was up-to-date. Staff had an awareness of the Mental Capacity Act and the principles of the Act.

Staff were caring and treated people with dignity and respect. People's choices and independence were respected and promoted and staff responded with kindness, maintaining people's dignity.

People felt listened to and could speak with care staff or the registered manager if they wanted things changed. People trusted staff would do all they could to help. People and relatives felt they could speak with the registered manager about their worries or concerns and felt they would be listened to and action would be taken.

Where people had specific health care needs these were clearly identified and showed how people should be supported. Staff worked closely with family members to replicate any care routines and to ensure people’s needs were being met appropriately.

Audits of the service, company policies and procedures and staff practice all helped to evidence how the service was meeting the regulations. The quality assurance records that we saw demonstrated how the registered manager maintained oversight of the service.

Feedback that had been sent to the agency via surveys, a website, emails, cards and letters was extremely complimentary. Everyone we spoke with said they would recommend the service.

The registered manager strived for continuous improvement and communicated this to staff. Staff were motivated to provide good quality care to people and their approach and practice reflected the values of the service.