Girassol Community Care (Huntingdonshire)

Updated 30 March 2022

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

This inspection was carried out 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 (CQC). 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

This inspection was announced. We gave a short period notice of the inspection because some of the people using it could not consent to a telephone call from an inspector. This meant that we had to arrange for a ‘best interests’ decision about this.

This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We used technology such as video and telephone calls to enable us to engage with people using the service and staff, and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation. Inspection activity started on 07 March 2022 and ended on 10 March 2022. We held a virtual meeting with the registered manager on 10 March 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since it was first registered. We sought and obtained feedback from the local safeguarding authority and from professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We received feedback from one health professional and a member of the local authority placements team. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, senior care staff and care staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were also reviewed, including training records, incident records, compliments, quality assurance processes and various policies and procedures.

After the inspection

We reviewed information relating to medicines administration records and compliments we asked the provider to send us.

Updated 30 March 2022

About the service

Girassol Community Care (Huntingdonshire) is a domiciliary care agency registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. The service supports younger people, older people some of who were living with dementia and people with a physical disability. At the time of the inspection, nine people were using the service, all of whom received personal care.

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

Staff knew how to safeguard and how to support people to keep them safer. The service and the staff team took on board learning when things went wrong.

Enough skilled and suitable staff had been safely recruited. People were supported by a consistent staff team who they felt comfortable with. People received their medicines as prescribed and staff ensured they followed infection prevention guidance and good practise.

People's needs were assessed before the service provided them with care or support. Staff knew people's needs well and care plans were reviewed as soon as changes occurred. Staff had received the required training and ongoing support to help them maintain and improve their skills to fulfil their role and responsibilities. People said staff had the skills necessary to care for them well.

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.

People said staff were caring and knew their needs and preferences well. Staff gave people privacy, treated them with dignity and respect and helped promote people's independence.

People said they were involved when reviewing their care and felt staff were responsive to their changing needs.

Monitoring and oversight of the service was effective in identifying and driving improvements. The registered manager led by example and had fostered an open and honest staff team culture. People came first and foremost, and they had a say in how the service was provided. The provider worked well with other organisations, to provide people with joined up care.

We undertook this inspection at the same time as CQC inspected a range of urgent and emergency care services in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. To understand the experience of social care providers and people who use social care services, we asked a range of questions in relation to accessing urgent and emergency care. The responses we received have been used to inform and support system wide feedback.

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 04 January 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.