Archived: Starcare West Cheshire Branch

Updated 30 November 2022

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

This inspection was carried out by 3 inspectors and an Expert by Experience. 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 houses and flats and specialist housing.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave a short period notice of the inspection. This was because we wanted to speak with people who used the service to gather their views before visiting the office location. We also needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 18 October 2022 and ended on 27 October 2022. We visited the location’s office on 20, 24 and 27 October 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since they re-registered under the new provider. We sought feedback from the local authority and 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 16 people who used the service and 2 family members about their experience of the care provided.

We spoke with 9 members of staff including the nominated individual, registered manager, carers and members of the office team. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 19 people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at 10 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 30 November 2022

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Starcare West Cheshire Branch is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to 168 people at the time of the inspection. A small number of people who used the service had a learning disability.

Not everyone 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

Right Support:

People were involved in developing their care plans which were person-centred. These were updated when people chose and when care needs changed. Systems were in place to manage risks to people's health and wellbeing and medicines were managed safely.

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. Staff knew people well and trusting relationships had been formed.

Right Care:

People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity; understanding and responding to their individual needs.

People received good quality care and support because appropriately trained staff could meet their needs and wishes.

Right Culture:

The service was well-led, and staff felt well-supported by an open and honest culture. The management team were committed to developing the service to improve the lives of people who used the service.

The registered manager had developed positive working relationships with other professionals and organisations to ensure positive outcomes were achieved for people.

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 10 October 2020 and this is the first inspection.

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 15 December 2020.

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.