Elsah Healthcare

Elsah Healthcare is a domiciliary care service, which provides care and support to people living in their homes. At the time of the inspection, 14 people were using the service. 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

Staff were not always effectively deployed to attend people’s calls as required. The quality assurance process was not robust to identify these concerns and to make improvements in a timely way.

People and their relatives gave us positive feedback about their safety and told us staff treated them well. The service had systems and processes in place to administer prescribed medicines, however some medicines records were not up to date. People were protected from the risk of infection. The provider had a system to manage accidents and incidents.

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. The provider worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). 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. The management team and staff worked with external professionals to ensure people were supported to maintain good health. 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.

People’s care plans reflected their current needs with sufficient guidance for staff to follow. 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.

There was a management structure at the service and staff were aware of the roles of the management team. They told us the management team members were 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 and update

This service was registered with us on 10 June 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

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

Enforcement

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified breaches in relation to safe care and treatment and good governance at this inspection.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take, at the end of this report.

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.