Care Carers

Updated 4 August 2021

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

This service 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 48 hours' notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure the registered manager would be available to support the inspection. We also needed to obtain the consent from people using the service and relatives to be contacted by us to obtain feedback on their experience of using the service.

The inspection activity started on 2 July 2021 by visiting the provider's office to meet with the registered manager. We then made phone calls to people using the service, their relatives and staff, and inspection activity ended on 19 July 2021.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we had received about the service since they registered with us, including any statutory notifications received. We had not asked the provider to send us a provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well and improvements they plan to make. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager and we reviewed a range of records. These included care and staff records and records relating to the management of the service.

After the inspection

We spoke with two relatives about their experience of the care provided and one care worker. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 4 August 2021

About the service

Care Carers is a domiciliary care service. The service provides personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection five people were receiving 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.

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

Risks to people, such as those relating to the care they received, were suitably managed. The provider checked staff were suitable to work with people through recruitment checks. There were enough staff to support people safely and staff timekeeping was good. Staff received training in infection control practices, including the safe use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, and followed best practice. Staff supported people with their medicines safely and the registered manager had good oversight of this.

Staff received a suitable induction, being trained directly by the registered manager with ongoing training and support on how to meet people’s needs. People were supported to maintain their health and staff were trained to check people’s pressure areas daily where appropriate. People received food and drink of their choice. 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.

People and their relatives were very positive about the staff who supported them and developed good relationships with them. People received consistency of care from a small number of staff who knew them well. Staff treated people with dignity and respect. People were involved in their care and their care plans were based on their individual needs and preferences. The provider had a suitable complaints policy and people were encouraged to raise any concerns or complaints.

A registered manager was in post who understood their role and responsibilities well, as did staff. Staff felt well supported by the management team. People and staff told us the service was well-led and the provider engaged well with them. The registered manager had good oversight of the service and carried out a range of checks to ensure people received a good standard of care.

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 inspected 30 October 2020 and we looked at the key questions good and well-led which were both rated good. This was the first comprehensive inspection since the service registered with us.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted because the service had not received a comprehensive inspection since they registered with us in September 2019.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.