Archived: Comfort Call - Scarborough

Comfort Call - Scarborough is a domiciliary care agency which provides assistance with personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of this inspection 69 people were receiving support with personal care needs.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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.

People's experience of using this service and what we found

People told us they felt safe with the staff who supported them. Staff understood how to protect people from avoidable harm and abuse. Where risks to people had been identified, assessments were in place to minimise these. People received their medicines when they needed them.

Staff received training, supervision and appraisal which supported them in their role. People told us they received their care on time and staff were able to meet their needs. Staff received training to prevent and control the spread of infections. Staff understood person-centred care and how to best support people in line with their choices and preferences.

People's needs were assessed before services commenced, to ensure their needs and preferences could be met. Staff understood and respected people’s rights. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People's health care and dietary requirements were monitored by staff and advice sought from health professionals when needed.

People told us staff were caring and understanding. People were treated with respect and staff maintained people’s dignity and privacy. People were fully involved in decisions about the care they received. People's communication needs were assessed, and guidance recorded in care files to support staff. Alternative formats were available if needed. People knew how to complain and were confident their concerns would be dealt with professionally.

The management team supported an open and honest working culture. They actively encouraged people and their relatives to provide feedback about the service. When things went wrong the provider informed people's representatives and adopted a transparent approach to their investigations. Lessons were learnt and shared with the staff team to improve their knowledge. Effective systems were in place to monitor and improve the quality of care people received.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 13 February 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the provider’s registration.

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.