21 March 2023
During a routine inspection
Capital Homecare (UK) Limited is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is to help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection, 207 people were using the service.
People’s experience of using this service:
Some people were not supported by effectively deployed staff to keep people safe and to meet their needs in a timely manner. The quality assurance system was not robust; as the provider had not always identified some of the issues we found at this inspection, in relation to staff deployment, late calls, call monitoring and management of people’s medicines about recording.
At our last inspection we recommended the provider giving sufficient care tasks details and guidance for staff in the care plan, alongside people’s choices and preferences. At this inspection we found the provider had made sufficient improvements. Staff showed an understanding of equality and diversity. Staff respected people’s choices and preferences. People knew how to make a complaint. The registered manager knew what to do if someone required end-of life care.
People and their relatives gave us positive feedback about their safety and told us staff treated them well. People were protected from the risk of infection. Staff received support through training, supervision and staff meetings to ensure they could meet people’s needs. Staff told us they felt supported and could approach the management team members at any time for support.
Staff asked for people’s consent, where they had the capacity to consent to their care. 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.
An assessment of people’s needs had been completed to ensure these could be met by staff. People and their relatives were involved in making decisions about their care and support. People were treated with dignity, and their privacy was respected, and supported to be as independent in their care as possible.
There was a management structure at the service and staff were aware of the roles of the management team. They told us the registered manager was supportive and approachable.
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 requires improvement (published 01 October 2021). At that inspection we found breach of regulation in relation to good governance. 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 in relation to detailed care plans with sufficient guidance for staff. However, we found the provider was in breach of regulation 18 and remained in breach of regulation 17. The service remains rated requires improvement. This service has been rated requires improvement for the last 2 consecutive inspections.
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Enforcement and Recommendations
We have identified breaches in relation to staffing and good governance. At our last inspection we recommended that the provider keeps a record for administration of PRN (as required) medicine on each occurrence where a member of staff has supported with its use. At this inspection we found the provider had not made sufficient improvements.
Follow up
We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress.
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.