Background to this inspection
Updated
2 February 2023
The inspection
We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.
Inspection team
One inspector carried out the inspection.
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 not a registered manager in post. The registered manager had recently resigned and a new manager had been appointed, who was in their first week of induction at the time of our inspection. The new manager told us they would apply for registration with CQC.
Notice of inspection
We gave a short notice period of the inspection because we needed to be sure that the provider or manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 12 January 2023 and ended on 19 January 2023.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since its registration and sought feedback from the local authority which commissioned care. 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 all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with the newly-appointed manager and the deputy manager about how the service was run. We spoke with 2 people who used the service and 5 relatives to hear their feedback about the care the agency provided. We received feedback from a professional who had worked with the service and from 6 staff about the training, support and information they received.
We reviewed risk assessments and care plans for 3 people, policies, complaints records, quality audits and spot checks. We also checked recruitment records for 2 staff, records of induction, training and supervision, accident and incident records, meeting minutes, and the provider's business continuity plan.
Updated
2 February 2023
About the service
Heartview Care Services provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes, including people living with dementia, physical disability and ongoing healthcare conditions.
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.
The service was supporting 21 people at the time of our inspection, 15 of whom received personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us staff were kind and caring and knew their needs well. People said they got on well with the staff who supported them and looked forward to their visits. Staff respected people’s decisions and choices about their care.
People knew how to complain and felt able to raise concerns if they were dissatisfied. 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.
Risk assessments had been carried out to identify and manage any risks involved in people’s care. Staff attended safeguarding training and had taken appropriate action if they suspected people were at risk of abuse. The provider carried out pre-employment checks to ensure staff were suitable for the work they did. People were protected from the risk of infection because staff followed good practice in infection prevention and control (IPC). Staff managed people’s medicines safely. Staff had the training they needed to carry out their roles and to provide people’s care in a safe way.
People’s needs were assessed before the service provided their care. Care plans were developed from these assessments, which contained guidance for staff about how people’s care should be provided. Staff monitored people’s health and took appropriate action if people became unwell. People were supported to eat meals of their choice and to maintain adequate nutrition and hydration.
People had opportunities to give feedback about their care and told us their views were listened to.
Staff said they received good support from the management team and could speak up if they had concerns or suggestions for improvements. Quality monitoring systems helped the management team maintain an effective oversight of the service and to ensure people received safe, consistent care. The management team worked well with other professionals involved in people’s care and support.
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 3 March 2020 and this is the first inspection. Although registered in March 2020, the service did not begin providing care to people until April 2022.
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.