Archived: Human Support Group Limited - Plymouth

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to adults of all ages, who may have needs including physical disability, dementia and mental health needs. At the time of the inspection the agency was providing personal care to 140 people.

People’s experience of using this service:

People told us their calls were not always at the time they had agreed with the agency, and they often did not know which staff were coming or at what time. For some people this meant they felt unsafe as they needed to have medicines or food at a certain time to remain healthy. People told us they did not always get informed when staff were going to be late. People told us they did not always know which staff members to expect.

People’s records did not always detail risks relating to their needs. When risks were detailed, guidance for staff to reduce the risk was not always included. Medicines management processes did not always reflect best practice.

Checks and audits had been completed to help ensure improvements were made. However, no checks were completed of how punctual people’s calls were, or to ensure improvements requested by people had been implemented. Not all the gaps we identified had been highlighted through the checks completed. Complaints were responded to, but evidence was not available to show whether the actions required as a result had been taken. We have made a recommendation about this.

People told us the staff were kind and responsive to their needs. Staff described how they offered choice and control throughout their visits to people. People’s care plans described how to help people maintain their independence.

People told us they felt safe when staff were supporting them, and that staff were skilled to meet their needs. Staff ensured any information required by other health or social care professionals was recorded clearly and as requested.

The provider was in the process of updating records and processes to better reflect best practice.

Rating at last inspection: Good. 18 October 2016

Why we inspected: We inspected this service as part of the scheduled programme.

We issued breaches of the regulations. Please see the end of the report for details of the action we have told the provider to take.

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

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

A registered manager was employed to manage the service locally. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The staff were separated into six teams which were each managed by a co-ordinator. There was a team of office staff who also supported the registered manager in the running of the service.

People told us they felt safe using the service. Comments included, “I feel very safe indeed. They certainly know what they are doing.” Staff had received training in how to recognise and report abuse and were confident any allegations would be taken seriously and investigated to help ensure people were protected.

People received support from staff who knew them well, and had the knowledge and skills to meet their needs. People and their relatives spoke highly of the staff and the support provided. Comments included, “I do consider them to be skilled and conscientious.”

People had detailed care plans in place which provided guidance for staff about how people liked their care provided. A staff member told us, “Care plans are detailed. They tell us what we need to do. You never feel lost as to what you should be doing.” People told us staff always respected the way they liked things done and respected their home and belongings.

There was a positive culture within the service. The registered manager had clear visions, values and enthusiasm about how they wished the service to be provided and these values were shared by the whole staff team. The registered manager said part of the recruitment process was to ensure any new staff would fit in and understand the values of the service. Staff members reflected the ethos of the service in the way they worked. People described the staff as being particularly caring and attentive to their needs. On person told us, “They’re carers in the true sense of the word.”

The registered manager and staff had a clear understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how

to make sure people who did not have the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves had their legal rights protected. No-one receiving support was assessed as lacking capacity but staff members were aware of when someone may need to receive a mental capacity assessment and who to report this to.

There was a management structure in the service which provided clear lines of responsibility and accountability. A registered manager was in post who had overall responsibility for the service. They were supported by other senior staff who had designated management responsibilities. People told us they knew who to speak to in the office and had confidence in the management and staff team.

Information was used to aid learning and drive improvement across the service. The manager and staff monitored the quality of the service by regularly undertaking a range of regular audits and speaking with people to ensure they were happy with the service they received. People and their relatives told us the management team were approachable and included them in discussions about their care and the running of the service.