Background to this inspection
Updated
6 December 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
The inspection team consisted of 1 inspector.
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 provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
The inspection was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make.
During the inspection
During the inspection we spoke with 2 people who used the service and 2 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We also spoke with the registered manager, operational manager, office manager, office co-ordinator and 3 care workers. We reviewed a range of records which included the care plans for 3 people. We looked at care records for 3 people and 3 staff files in relation to recruitment, training and support, a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including audits, policies and procedures were reviewed.
Updated
6 December 2023
About the service
DCL-Pro Services provides domiciliary care services for adults with a wide range of needs. The service offers support to people who require help with day to day routines, including personal care, meal preparation, shopping, housework and supporting people out into the community. At the time of our inspection there were 7 people using the service.
People’s experience of the service and what we found:
There were systems in place to keep people safe. Staff safeguarded people from abuse. Risks to people's health, safety and well-being were managed. There were enough staff to meet people's needs and safe recruitment processes were followed.
The provider had effective systems to review incidents, check appropriate action had been taken and identify learning. The provider and staff protected people from the risk or spread of infection.
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 service was well managed. The provider, managers and staff promoted a positive culture in the service. People and relatives were complimentary about staff and the care people received. The provider had an effective quality assurance process in place which included regular audits and spot checks.
People, relatives and staff were regularly consulted about the quality of the service through regular communication, meetings and reviews.
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 rating for this service was Requires Improvement (published 10 April 2021) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
When we last inspected DCL-Pro Services on 22 February 2021 breaches of legal requirements were found. This inspection was undertaken to check whether they were now meeting the legal requirements.
We undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. For those key question not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.
Follow Up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.