Background to this inspection
Updated
12 March 2020
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 Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
Our inspection was completed by one inspector.
Service and service type
East London Care and Support Limited is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was announced. We gave the service 24 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. We visited the office location on 20/01/2020 and the provider arranged for staff to come in to speak with us.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
During the inspection
We spoke with the registered manager and four care staff. We reviewed a range of records. This included six people’s care records including risk assessments. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service including health and safety checks and quality assurance were reviewed.
After the inspection
The provider sent us documentation we requested. We contacted the local authority to seek their views about the service. We spoke with two people who used the service and three relatives.
Updated
12 March 2020
About the service
East London Care and Support Limited is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to adults and children. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. 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 this inspection there were 58 people receiving a personal care service.
People’s experience of using this service
People using the service had risk assessments carried out to protect them from the risks of avoidable harm. Staff knew about safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures. People were protected from the risks associated with the spread of infection and medicines were managed safely. The provider had a system in place to record accidents and incidents.
Staff were supported in their role with training, supervision and appraisals. People’s care needs were assessed before they began to use the service and were regularly reviewed to capture any changes needed to their care plan. Staff supported people with their nutritional, hydration and healthcare 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. The provider and staff understood the need to obtain consent before delivering care.
Staff demonstrated they knew people and their care needs well. The provider and staff understood how to provide a fair and equal service. People and their families were involved in making decisions about their care. Staff knew how to support people to make choices. People’s privacy, dignity and independence were promoted.
Care plans were detailed, personalised and contained people’s preferences. Staff understood how to deliver a personalised care service. People’s communication needs were met. Staff supported people to maintain their religion, participate in activities and maintain social links. The service had a system in place to record and handle complaints. The provider had a policy in place to provide people with end of life care if required.
The provider had a system in place to capture feedback from people and relatives about the quality of the service provided. Staff had regular meetings to stay updated on service development. The provider carried out quality checks to identify areas for improvement. The service worked jointly with other agencies to improve outcomes for people using the service.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published on 19 December 2016). Since this rating was awarded the registered provider of the service has changed the service name and has moved premises. We have used the previous rating to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on our inspection programme.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.