UK Care Staffing

Updated 6 April 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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was completed by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

The service had a manager 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 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. We also needed to gain consent to contact people using the service by telephone.

Inspection activity started on 16 March 2022 and ended on 21 March 2022. We visited the office location on 18 March 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people who used the service and one relative about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with registered manager, director, and the provider’s legal staff member. We emailed staff and invited them to provide feedback about working for the service and received four responses.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including staff training.

After the inspection

We spoke with one health care professional for their feedback about the service. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. This included reviewing policies and procedures.

Updated 6 April 2022

About the service

UK Care Staffing is a domiciliary care service. It provides care for people living in their own houses and flats to enable them to live as independently as possible. 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 the inspection, four people were receiving personal care support from the service. Whilst the service had been registered since 2020, care packages commenced in December 2021 and January 2022.

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

People were cared for in a safe manner. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities in protecting people from abuse and avoidable harm. They had received safeguarding training and the provider had a safeguarding policy. Feedback from people was positive about the staff that supported them.

Risks to people’s health and wellbeing had been assessed. Care plans and risk assessments overall provided staff with detailed guidance. Some examples identified additional guidance was required, the registered manager agreed to make immediate improvements and following our inspection forwarded action taken.

Staff were safely recruited and sufficient in number to support the geographical area. There were good systems and processes to support staff and the registered manager had daily contact with them.

There was good infection control practice embedded in the service. Systems were in place to ensure lessons were learnt when things went wrong.

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 acknowledged, and respected people’s individual needs and choices. People were involved in the planning and reviews of their care. Staff were effectively trained in topics relevant to their role. Staff worked with other healthcare professionals to ensure people were supported to live healthier and independent lives and to achieve positive outcomes.

People were supported by staff who were caring and kind. Feedback from people about the approach of staff was positive. People were supported overall by regular care staff that they had developed a trusting and supportive relationship. People’s independence was promoted, and their privacy and dignity were respected by staff.

The provider was responsive. People had personalised care plans that promoted independence. People's individual communication needs had been assessed and planned for.

People had access to the provider’s complaint policy and people told us they felt confident to raise any issues, concerns or complaints.

At the time of our inspection, no person was receiving end of life care. However, the registered manager was aware end of life care plans when required, were important to ensure staff were aware of people’s preferences and wishes at the end stage of their life.

The service was well-led. The management team had created a culture of quality care where people were the centre. There was a commitment in providing people with care that was individualised and person centred. The registered manager understood their responsibilities within the service and were continually looking for ways to improve.

People’s views were constantly sought to help drive improvement. The staff worked in partnership with health and social care professionals to ensure people received a consistent approach.

The provider had systems and processes that monitored quality and safety and a new management role was being introduced that would monitor and have oversight of the service.

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 9 September 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the provider’s registration date.

Follow Up

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