We carried out a review of the data available to us about Care Direct UK on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Care Direct UK, you can give feedback on this service.
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes in the community. It provides a service mainly to older adults. Not everyone using Care Direct UK receives the 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. Care Direct UK is an independent care agency providing personal care and domestic support to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were approximately 186 people using the service.
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.
Medicines were managed and administered safely. There were safeguarding policies and procedures in place and staff knew what actions to take to protect people from harm. Risks were assessed, managed and reviewed regularly to ensure people’s needs were safely met. Appropriate recruitment checks took place before staff started work and there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. There were systems in place to ensure people were protected from the risk of infections.
Assessments of people’s care and support needs were conducted. Staff completed an induction when they started work and received appropriate training. Staff were aware of the importance of seeking consent and demonstrated good knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. There were arrangements in place to comply with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were supported to meet their nutritional needs where appropriate and people were supported to access health and social care professionals when required.
People told us staff were caring, respectful and polite. People were consulted about their care and support needs and were provided with information about the service that met their needs. People received personalised care that met their diverse needs. People knew about the provider’s complaints procedure.
There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided. The provider took into account the views of people using the service. Staff said they received good support from the registered manager and office staff. There was an out of hours on call system in operation that ensured management support and advice was always available. The service worked with external organisations to meet people's needs.
Care Direct Ltd is an independent organisation providing personal care and domestic support to 165 people in their own homes.
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 May 2013 the agency met the regulations. At this inspection the regulations were met.
People said the service provided was the type they needed and that it met their expectations. The designated tasks were carried out in the way they wished, although they thought new care workers would benefit from shadowing those with previous experience of people using the service before taking over tasks for them. People felt safe, particularly with well-established care workers and thought the staff team and organisation cared. They thought the service provided was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.
The service kept records that were up to date and covered all aspects of the care and support people received, the choices they made and identified and met their needs. The information was clearly recorded, fully completed, and regularly reviewed. This enabled staff to perform their duties appropriately.
Most staff knew about the people they provided a service for, the way they liked to be supported and worked together as a team when required. Newer staff had less knowledge of people, what they required and the way they wanted tasks carried out. People thought staff conducted themselves in a professional and friendly way that was focussed on the individual and their needs. They were trained, knowledgeable and accessible to people using the service and their relatives. Staff thought the organisation was a good one to work for and they enjoyed their work. They had access to good training and support.
People and their relatives said they were able to discuss health and other needs with staff and had agreed information passed on to GPs 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 people’s likes, dislikes and preferences were met.
The agency staff knew about the Mental Capacity Act and their responsibilities regarding it.
People said they were comfortable approaching the manager who was responsive, encouraged feedback from them and monitored and assessed the quality of the service provided.
One service user told us, 'The care I get suits me. I usually get the same care workers. I like them and they are nice people'. Another service user said, 'They are polite and they do all that they should be doing, I have no complaints'.
People told us that they felt safe with their care workers partly because they always wore their identity badges but also because they usually had the same care workers so they were able to build up a good and trusting relationship with them.
People said they knew how to make a complaint and would speak to the manager if they needed to do so.