Healing Touch Care Limited

Updated 15 March 2023

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

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector and an Expert by Experience. 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.

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 a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since their registration with CQC and sought feedback from the local authority. 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 also sought feedback from the local authority. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We visited the provider’s office where we spoke with the registered manager and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We also spoke with 1 member of staff. Following the inspection, we spoke with 3 people using the service and another 5 people’s relatives about their experience of the care provided. We also received feedback from 3 care staff and 3 health and social care professionals.

Updated 15 March 2023

About the service

Healing Touch Care Limited is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in their own homes. The service provides both a visiting care service but also live in care. The service provides support to people living with dementia and older and younger adults with physical disabilities. Currently everyone using 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. At the time of our inspection there were 9 people receiving personal care.

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

We found some shortfalls in recruitment practices and we have made a recommendation about this. Staff understood how to protect people from abuse and people lived as safely as possible because staff assessed, monitored and managed risks. The service had enough staff to ensure people received a reliable and consistent service that met their needs. Medicines were managed safely. Staff used personal protective equipment effectively and safely. The service managed incidents affecting people’s safety well.

Care plans had been co-produced with people and were holistic, but some had not always been updated in a timely manner when people’s needs changed. People were supported by staff who had received an induction period which included the completion of the Care Certificate. This helped to prepare them for their role. There was a lack of records available to evidence shadowing, competency assessments and spot checks and we have made a recommendation about this. People’s nutritional needs were met, and staff worked collaboratively with health and social care professionals to support people with their healthcare needs.

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. Staff empowered people to make own decisions about their care and support and consent was sought in line with legislation.

Care was very person-centred and promoted people’s dignity, privacy and human rights. People received kind and compassionate care from staff who understood their individual needs.

Care planning was focused on people’s individual needs and preferences and provided information about the tasks staff needed to perform at each visit and how the person liked these to be completed. Staff understood the importance of developing a strong bond with those they supported. People’s communication needs had been assessed and planned for. A complaints policy was in place although no complaints had been received. The registered manager understood the important of ensuring people had a comfortable and pain free death.

The registered manager had a clear vision for the direction of the service and a desire for people to have the best quality care and achieve the best possible outcomes. They were clearly committed to their role and had a clear understanding of people’s needs and of the service they managed. The care and support being provided helped to promote people’s quality of life and to achieve good outcomes for people. The provider and registered manager encouraged an open and honest culture. The registered manager evaluated the quality of support and sought feedback from people and staff and used this to improve the service. The leadership team engaged with a number of local forums and organisations to develop their knowledge, improve care for people using their service and the wider health and social care system.

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 September 2020. The service was inspected in March 2022, but there was insufficient evidence to provide the service with a rating, therefore this is the first ratings inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection as the service had not previously been rated.

Follow up

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