Archived: Carers Break Community Interest Company

Updated 12 March 2015

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection of Carers Break Community Interest Company took place on 12 & 13 February 2015. We told the provider three days before that we would be coming. This was to ensure the registered manager was available when we visited the agency’s office and so we could arrange to visit some people in their own homes to hear about their experiences of the service. This was the first inspection since the service was registered in October 2013. One inspector undertook the inspection.

We reviewed the Provider Information Record (PIR) before the inspection. The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and the improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed feedback received from questionnaires sent to all people who used the service (for long-term care), all staff and 31 healthcare professionals prior to the inspection. We received feedback from 76.9% of people who used the service, 20.8 % of staff and 29% of health and social care professionals.

During the inspection we went to the provider’s office and spoke with the registered manager/director, the other director and two care staff. We looked at two records relating to the care of individuals, four staff recruitment files, staff duty rosters, staff training records and records relating to the running of the service. We visited two people in their own homes, meet two relatives and made phone calls to two staff and one social care professional.

Updated 12 March 2015

We carried out this announced inspection on 12 & 13 February 2015. We told the provider three days before that we would be coming. This was the first inspection since the service was registered.

Carers Break Community Interest Company is a domiciliary care service that provides care and support to adults of all ages, in their own homes. The service provides help with people’s personal care needs across all areas of Cornwall. This includes people with physical disabilities, dementia care needs and care at the end of their lives. The service provides long-term care at night, day duties for a minimum of two hours and live-in care packages. Much of the care provided is to give family carers a break from looking after their relative. As well as providing long-term services Carers Break provides short-term respite overnight care to give families a break during a crisis, support people discharged from hospital or provide end of life care.

At the time of our inspection 13 people were receiving a long-term personal care service. These services were funded either privately, through Cornwall Council or NHS funding.

There was a registered manager in post who was responsible for the day-to-day running of the home. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People we spoke with told us they felt safe using the service. One person told us, “I can trust my worker”. A relative told us, “when they [staff] are looking after my husband I trust them”. Staff had received training in how to recognise and report abuse. All were clear about how to report any concerns and were confident that any allegations made would be fully investigated to help ensure people were protected.

There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff to meet the needs of people who used the service. Staff were matched to the people they supported according to their own skills and interests and the needs of the person. The service was flexible and responded to people’s changing needs.

People received care from staff who knew them well, and had the knowledge and skills to meet their needs. A relative told us, “staff are fantastic”. A healthcare professional told us, “they provide competent carers”. Staff were knowledgeable about the people they cared for and knew how to recognise if people’s needs changed. Staff were aware of people’s preferences and interests, as well as their health and support needs, which enabled them to provide a personalised service. Staff were kind and compassionate and treated people with dignity and respect.

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.

There was a positive culture in the service, the management team provided strong leadership and led by example. The provider/registered manager had clear visions and values about how they wished the service to be provided and these values were shared with the whole staff team.

People and their families told us the management team was very approachable and they were included in decisions about the running of the service. People told us someone from the office rang and visited them regularly to ask about their views of the service and review the care and support provided. Staff were encouraged to challenge and question practice and were involved in making improvements to the service.

The service worked in partnership with other health and social care professionals to seek their advice about current practices and monitor the quality of the service provided. Health and social care professionals were all very positive about working with the service and how the service sought different ways to improve the quality of the service provided.