About the service Nightingale Home Care is a home care service providing personal care to people in their own homes. The service provides support to older people, people with dementia and younger adults with disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were 77 people using the service. Not everyone who used the service received 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
Records were not always up to date and accurate. The provider’s systems for monitoring the quality of the service had not identified these shortfalls. The registered manager explained how improvements to the provider’s systems, including the introduction of an electronic care monitoring system, would support improvements in recording and quality assurance systems.
People and their relatives told us they were happy with the standard of care and support they received. One person told us, “The carers are worth their weight in gold, care is provided at an outstanding level.”
Risks to people were assessed and monitored. People told us staff helped them to feel safe because they had regular care workers, they described a reliable service. There were enough suitable staff to cover all the care visits. Staff understood their responsibilities for safeguarding people and concerns were reported appropriately.
People’s needs and preferences were identified and assessed. Staff received the training and support they needed to provide effective care. People told us they were supported to access health services when they needed them. Staff supported people to have enough to eat and drink.
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 spoke highly of the kind and caring attitude of the staff. They described being involved in making decisions about their care and support and were encouraged to express their views. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity and supported people to remain as independent as possible.
People were receiving a personalised service from staff who knew them well and responded to changes in their needs. One person told us, “I couldn’t ask for more, they are wonderful.” Staff supported people with care at the end of life when they chose to be at home. The provider had systems for recording complaints and addressed any concerns when they arose.
Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities and spoke with pride about the service they provided. One staff member said, “This is the best agency I have worked for.” People were satisfied with the service they received and spoke highly of the quality of the support and the management of the service. One person told us, “I have recommended this company to a friend because they have only experienced bad care from other agencies.”
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection. The last rating for this service was good (published 4 January 2018)
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Enforcement
We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.
Follow up
We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of record keeping and quality assurance. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.