Be Caring Newcastle

Updated 31 May 2022

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

One inspector and two Experts by Experience carried out this inspection. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It also provides care and support to people living in ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

The service had managers 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

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to arrange telephone calls with people using the service and we wanted to visit some services where people are often out. We wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

Inspection activity started on 16 December 2021 and ended on 22 February 2022. We visited the location’s services and office on 20 and 21 December 2021 and 16 February 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used this information to plan our inspection.

We used the information gathered as part of monitoring activity that took place on 4 November 2021 to help plan the inspection and inform our judgements.

During the inspection

We spoke with 16 people who used the service and 12 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We received information and feedback from 16 members of staff including the operations manager, the registered managers and care workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 21 people's care records and multiple medication records. We looked at 10 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We also reviewed a variety of records relating to the management and safety of the service, including some policies and procedures.

Updated 31 May 2022

About the service

Be Caring Tyneside is a large domiciliary care agency. Between December 2021 and February 2022, they supported 423 people each day. There are four distinct parts to the service, each with its own manager. They provide care and support to people living in their own homes; complex and palliative care; supported living schemes for people with a learning disability and/or autism and a short-term service primarily for people with autism.

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.

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

Most people received care when they needed it. Care plans contained information relevant to people’s needs. Some risk assessments, related to the homecare service, were also either missing or did not contain sufficient information about how to keep people safe.

The provider had a structured approach to quality assurance. However, this had not always been effective in chasing up issues with risk assessments. There was a lack of management oversight of the COVID-19 testing arrangements to provide the required reassurance that staff were testing in line with Government guidance. The provider was implementing systems to address this.

People and relatives gave mostly positive feedback about their care and praised the staff providing it. They told us they felt safe accessing the service. They also knew how to raise concerns, if required.

Safeguarding concerns were reported and investigated. Staff knew how to raise concerns and felt confident to do so. Incidents and accidents were also investigated and action taken as a result. Medicines were handled safely, and the provider had effective recruitment practices.

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’s needs had been assessed and this formed a baseline for developing their care plans. Staff had access to regular supervision and relevant training. However, not all staff said they felt supported. Staff supported people to have enough to eat and drink and to attend healthcare appointments, when required.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Staff supported people to make choices and decisions about their care. People told us they were enabled to be as independent as possible. There were positive relationships between people and staff, with people confirming they were treated well and were involved in their care.

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 the service under the previous provider and premises was good, published on 17 June 2019.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.