Sanctuary Home Care Ltd- Doddington is a an extra care scheme that provides personal care services to older people living in their own homes in Doddington Court. They also supply staff to provide personal care for up to nine people in an intermediate care facility within Doddington Court The service also provides housekeeping services such as cleaning and shopping although this service is not regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). We inspected the service on 31 March 2016. The inspection was unannounced. At the time of our inspection 38 people including four people in the intermediate care facility were receiving a personal care service.
There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. A registered manager (‘the manager’) is a person who has registered with CQC to manage the service. Like registered providers (‘the provider’), 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.
CQC is required by law to monitor how a provider applies the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and to report on what we find. Staff had received training in this area and demonstrated their understanding of how to support people who lacked the capacity to make some decisions for themselves.
People were at the heart of the service. Staff understood what was important to each person and worked closely with each other and other professionals to promote their well-being and happiness.
Systems were in place to meet people’s needs effectively and safely. Staff were aware of the procedures for reporting concerns and protecting people from harm. Staff were only employed after the provider had carried out satisfactory pre-employment checks. Staff were trained and were well supported by their managers. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s assessed needs.
The CQC monitors the operations of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care services. We found people’s rights to make decisions about their care were respected. Where people were assessed as not having the mental capacity to make decisions, they had been supported in the decision making process. DoLS applications were in progress and had been submitted to the authorising body.
People’s health, care and nutritional needs were effectively met. People were provided with a varied, balanced diet and staff were aware of people’s dietary needs. Staff referred people appropriately to healthcare professionals. People received their prescribed medicines appropriately.
People received care and support from staff who were kind, caring and respectful. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity. People, their relatives, staff and other professionals were encouraged to express their views on the service provided.
Care plans contained all of the relevant information that staff required to meet people’s needs and therefore people could be confident that they always received the care and support that they needed. Changes to people’s care was kept under review to ensure that the care and support provided was effective. The registered manager assessed any potential risks to people and staff and put preventive measures in place where required.
Staff supported people to take part in hobbies, interests and activities of their choice. There was a varied programme of activities available to people.
The registered manager was supported by senior staff and support workers. There was a good management structure in place and staff were clear on reporting procedures. People, relatives and staff told us the service was very well run and that staff in all positions, including the registered manager, were approachable. People’s views were listened to and acted on.
The provider went above and beyond the core homecare contract in a number of different ways. People were given lots of opportunities to meet each other socially and the recruitment of a daily activities co-ordinator had taken place. The hope is that they are able to offer more choice of activities and social events to take place based on people’s choices. Staff and volunteers encouraged people to retain an active presence in their local community and to maintain personal interests and hobbies.
The registered manager was known personally to everyone who used the service and provided staff with strong, values-led leadership. Staff worked together in a friendly and supportive way. They were proud to work for the service and felt listened to by the registered manager and provider.
The provider was committed to the continuous improvement of the service and maintained a range of auditing and monitoring systems to ensure the care provided reflected people’s needs and preferences. The provider sought people’s opinions on the quality of the service.