About the service Patience Company is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care and support to people who live in their own home. At the time of the inspection there were nine people who were receiving personal care. Some people were living in shared accommodation called supported living. The three supported living services were under a separate contractual agreement and CQC does not regulate the premises used for supported living. 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
During the inspection we identified shortfalls relating to the recording of medicines and the recording of risks relating to the recruitment of new staff. We recommend the provider seeks best practice guidance in relation to recruiting staff and demonstrating risks have been mitigated through a robust risk assessment prior to the member of staff starting their employment. We also recommend best practice guidance is followed in relation to the recording of medicines administration and there being a clear audit trail of actions taken when shortfalls are identified.
People were supported by staff who undertook testing in line with government guidance. The providers policy relating to the wording of protective eye wear was in need of updating. The registered manager took action to address this following the inspection.
People were supported by staff who had a good understanding of keeping people safe and promoting their independence. Although at times people were supported by staff they might not know very well. The registered manager confirmed they were recruiting new staff which would help address this. Care plans confirmed where people were independent, and staff promoted people to make decision about their care and support. People felt they received safe care.
Care plans contained important information such as how people wished to have their support provided by staff. This included what they liked to eat and their end of life wishes. Where one care plan contained limited information about the person. The registered manager took action during our inspection to update their care plan. The registered manager monitored incidents and accidents and records confirmed action taken to prevent similar incidents from occurring again.
People felt able to discuss any changes to their care needs. Positive feedback had been gained from people through customer satisfaction surveys. People received support from staff who received training, so they had the skills and knowledge to support people.
The registered manager kept up to date with guidance and training and staff felt supported and happy in their roles. Quality assurance systems were in place to monitor staff’s performance and competency along with health and safety and people’s environments.
Rating at last inspection and update
This service was registered with us on 2 July 2021 and this was the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations and to provide a rating for the service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk