Background to this inspection
Updated
11 August 2023
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
This inspection was completed by 3 inspectors and 2 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.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
Registered Manager
This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 26 July 2023 and ended on 31 July 2023. We visited the location’s office on 27 July 2023.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed the information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from a local authority who funded some people’s care packages. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
During the inspection
We spoke with the registered manager, managing director, office manager, training manager and 8 care staff. We sent 18 emails to staff to seek feedback and received 2 responses. We spoke with 12 people who used the service and 10 relatives for their experience of the service they received. We looked at aspects of care records for 7 people. We reviewed a range of documentation relating to the management of the service including training records, staff recruitment, quality assurance, audits and checks.
Updated
11 August 2023
Caremark Hinckley, Bosworth and Blaby provides care to people living in their own homes. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection, 72 people were receiving personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People received safe care and support. Staff had detailed guidance of action required to meet people’s care needs and mitigate known risks. Staff had received training in safeguarding and knew how to protect people from abuse and avoidable harm.
People were positive about the competency of staff and felt confident they knew and understood their individual care and support needs. Staff were recruited safely.
Improvements had been made to care calls. There had been no missed calls and late calls were minimal. The management team monitored care calls and care records, to ensure people received care that reflected their assessed needs.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
Medicines were managed and administered safely where required. Staff had received medicines training and had their competency assessed. Care plans provided staff with guidance required to support the safe management of medicines.
Accidents and incidents were recorded, acted upon and analysed for opportunities of learning to reduce reoccurrence.
Infection prevention and control best practice guidance was followed. Staff wore personal protective equipment to reduce the risk of cross contamination and infection.
The provider’s systems and processes that assessed, monitored and reviewed quality and safety had been developed and improved upon. Further improvements were being implemented.
People were positive about the improvements made and spoke highly of the registered manager and management team. People received opportunities to share their experience about the service.
Overall, staff were positive about working for the service. Staff received ongoing training and their competency and performance reviewed. There were communication systems in place to share information with people and staff.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rated inspection for this service was requires improvement (published 29 July 2022). Breaches in regulations relating to safe care and treatment, fit and proper persons employed, and good governance were identified. The provider completed an action plan after the inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve and meet the breaches in regulation related to safe care and treatment and fit and proper persons employed. A Warning Notice was served for the breach relating to governance.
At this inspection, we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good based on the findings of this inspection.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.