Circle of Care Office

Updated 4 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 one inspector. An Expert by Experience made telephone calls to people and their relatives. 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 homes.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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. There was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours' notice of the inspection. This was because 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 the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with one person receiving a service and six relatives on the telephone about their experience of the care provided by Circle of Care. We visited one person in their own home. We spoke with seven members of staff including the provider and registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. This included four people's care records, four medication records, three staff files and a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at policies and audits and additional evidence to support the inspection. We received further feedback via email from one staff member.

Updated 4 March 2023

About the service

Circle of Care Office is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 59 people who received a service. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. At the time of the inspection there were 40 people receiving 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.

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

People were supported by extremely kind and caring staff who respected their privacy and dignity. They received a person-centred service from staff who knew them well and were passionate about delivering good quality care. There were many examples where the service went above and beyond to achieve an outstanding quality of life for people in their own homes.

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.

Governance systems were comprehensive and regular audits were in place. Issues were identified and addressed promptly.

Staff had a good knowledge of people and any risks to their health and wellbeing. Risk assessments were sufficiently detailed and ensured people were safe.

People received all their planned care calls in a timely manner. The provider was actively recruiting and promoting careers in care in the community, and recruitment procedures were in place. People felt safe with the staff that supported them and safeguarding procedures were in place.

Systems were in place to reduce the risk of the spread of infection. Accidents and incidents were monitored, and reflective practice occurred to reduce the risk of occurrence and ensure lessons were learnt.

Staff received good induction and comprehensive training. Staff felt well supported and valued and received supervisions and spot checks to support them in their roles.

Where appropriate people were supported with their health care needs and their fluid and nutritional intake. There was good communication between health professional, staff, relatives and people.

People and staff were positive about the support they received from the management team. This led to good care been delivered and good staff morale.

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 20 April 2021 and this is the first inspection. The last rating for the service at the previous premises was Good, published on 25 April 2018.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow up

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