Archived: Nurseplus UK

Updated 3 June 2016

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 Nurse Plus and Carer Plus took place on 11 January 2016 and was announced. We told the provider before our visit that we would be coming. We did this because the registered manager and key staff are sometimes out of the office supporting staff or visiting people who use the service. We needed to be sure that they would be in. It was carried out by an adult social care inspector.

Before the inspection visit we reviewed the information we held about the service, including the Provider Information Return (PIR) which the provider completed 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 improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed information we received since the service registered.

This is the first inspection of this service. The service has been supplying nurses and care assistants to care homes providing nursing and personal care since 2013. They have been operational since November 2016. At the time of the inspection they were providing a range of support to 11 people.

During our inspection we spoke with the registered manager and the domiciliary care organiser, reviewed the care records of four people that used the service, reviewed the records for four staff and records relating to the management of the service. We phoned five people using the service and two relatives and visited one person in their own home. We spoke to three staff.

Updated 3 June 2016

This inspection was announced and took place on 11 January 2016. Nurse Plus and Carer Plus is registered to provide nursing care and personal care services to people in their own homes. The service was registered with us in October 2013 however the registered activity of personal care commenced in November 2015. At the time of our inspection 11 people were receiving a personal care or support from the service. Some people received personal care others received regular “sitting” visits at a time to suit them. This meant staff supported people at home while their family carer was absent.

This is the first inspection of this service. Since 2013 the service had been supplying nurses and care assistants to care homes providing nursing and personal care. We did not inspect this aspect of their work which is not regulated by the Care Quality Commission.

There is a registered manager in post. 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.

People and their relatives were very complimentary about the quality of the service provided and of the management and staff team. They told us the service was reliable and staff were polite and kind. People were kept safe and free from harm. One person told us “I do feel safe. They are reliable. They have not let me down once. ” A relative said “I have no worries. I am very satisfied. They are very good. All is done as documented.” People looked forward to visits from the staff and enjoyed time spent with them.

There were appropriate numbers of staff employed to meet people’s needs and provide a flexible service. People enjoyed having a team of regular staff who knew them well.

Staff received comprehensive induction training and were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities. They had the skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their care and support needs.

People received a personalised service. When initial assessments were carried out attention was paid to finding out exactly what sort of support people required. Care plans were in place detailing how people wished to be supported and people were involved in making decisions about their care.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and plan on-going improvements. The provider had developed corporate policies and procedures which were available to support this service. Regular visits and audits from the provider’s staff was supporting the development of thregulated activity.