Archived: Care 1st Homecare - Swindon

Updated 6 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.

This inspection took place on 17 January 2019 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice in advance because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that senior staff would be available in the office to assist with the inspection.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector and two Experts-by-Experience. 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 information we held about the service. This included previous inspection reports, the Provider Information Return (PIR) and statutory notifications. The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and what improvements they plan to make. A notification is information about important events which providers are required to notify us by law.

During the inspection, we spoke with 12 people using the service, four relatives and friends of people, five members of staff and the registered manager.

We reviewed a range of records relating to people's care and the way the service was managed. These included care records for five people, medicine administration records, staff training records, four staff recruitment files, staff supervision and appraisal records, minutes from meetings, quality assurance audits, complaints and compliments records, and records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 6 March 2019

This inspection was carried out on 17 January 2019. This was the first inspection of the service.

Care 1st Homecare – Swindon is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to older adults, younger disabled adults, people with sensory impairments and people with mental health needs.

Not everyone using Care 1st Homecare – Swindon receives regulated activity. The CQC only inspects the service 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. On the day of the inspection Care 1st Homecare – Swindon was providing a service to 44 people, out of whom all received the regulated activity of personal care.

The service had 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People received safe care from staff who had been trained to protect people and identify signs of abuse. Risk assessments were implemented and reflected the current level of risk to people. Staff understood their responsibilities to report any concerns and followed the provider's policies in relation to safeguarding and whistleblowing.

There were enough staff to keep people safe and appropriate arrangements were in place for emergency staff cover. Recruitment processes were designed to ensure only suitable staff were selected to work with people. The service used an electronic monitoring system which staff accessed via mobile phones.

Staff received a wide range of training that matched people's needs. Staff were encouraged and supported to develop their skills and knowledge, which improved people's experience of care.

Staff were aware of their duties under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. They obtained people's consent before carrying out care tasks and followed legal requirements where people did not have the capacity to consent.

Staff treated people with kindness and compassion in their day-to-day support. People's dignity and privacy were respected and upheld, and staff encouraged people to be as independent as possible.

People's care records were person-centred and staff provided people with support in line with people’s preferences. People were consulted about their diverse needs which were respected by all staff.

People had access to a complaints procedure and were confident any concerns would be taken seriously and acted upon.

Quality checks took place regularly and identified actions needed to be taken to enhance the service. The registered manager was devoted to providing people with such care so that they were able to live as independently as possible in their own homes. The registered manager involved staff in promoting an open and positive culture. Staff knew how to put the aims and values of the service into practice so people received personalised care. Staff, relatives and other professionals spoke positively about the registered manager.