Background to this inspection
Updated
15 November 2016
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This inspection took place on 20 October 2016 and was announced. The registered manager was given 48 hours' notice of the inspection. We did this because we needed to be sure that someone senior would be available on the day of the inspection to help respond to our questions and to provide us with evidence.
The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
We reviewed all the information we held about the service, including data about safeguarding and statutory notifications. Statutory notifications are information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. We also made contact with the Local Authority and reviewed information they held on the service. We asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We use the PIR to inform our judgment process.
We spoke with three people who used the service, three staff members, one relative and the registered manager. We reviewed two people's care records to ensure they were reflective of their needs, three staff files, and other documents relating to the management of the service, including quality audits and medicine administration records.
This service was last inspected in December 2013 where no concerns were identified.
Updated
15 November 2016
Heart of the South is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care and support to people in their own homes, within the Oxted area. They also provide support to people with domestic tasks such as housework. At the time of our inspection the service was providing care and support to 26 people.
The inspection took place on the 20 October 2016 and was announced.
The service had a registered manager who was in day to day charge of the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
Staff had an understanding of abuse and the safeguarding procedures that should be followed to report abuse .The staff we spoke with were able to demonstrate what they would do should they have any concern that abuse was taking place.
Some people had risk management plans in place. The people we spoke with were aware of the need for risk assessing and were happy with what was in place to support them. However the registered manager was in the process of review all risk. The registered manager told us that an action plan had been put in place to prioritise people’s assessments.
Staffing levels were suitable to meet people's current needs. People told us staff always stay for the full length of the call.
Staff recruitment procedures ensured that appropriate pre-employment checks were carried out to ensure only suitable staff worked at the service. Staff induction training and on-going training was provided to ensure they had the skills, knowledge and support they needed to perform their roles.
People were supported to receive their medicines when they needed them. We were told by the majority of people we spoke to they did not have any issues with medicines and that they received them when necessary.
Staff were well supported by the registered manager, and had regular one to one supervisions, and spot checks. The staff we spoke with were confident that the support they received enabled them to do their jobs effectively.
People's direct consent was gained before any care was provided and the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were met.Everyone we spoke with told us that staff members always gained their consent before carrying out any care tasks. However documentary evidence was not part of the person assessment process. We have made a recommendation about this.
People were able to choose the food and drink they wanted and staff supported them with this. If required, staff supported people to access health appointments. We saw that people had information about their likes and dislikes with food and drinks, and dietary requirements recorded within their files.
Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect and spent time getting to know them and their specific needs and wishes. People were involved in their own care planning and were able to contribute to the way in which they were supported.
The service had a complaints procedure in place, where people had made complaints evidence was found that these complaints were recorded and acted upon appropriately.
Feedback was sought by the operational management via surveys which were sent to people and their relatives. Survey results were positive and any issues identified acted upon.
Quality monitoring systems were in place and when audits were being conducted there was evidence that actions were taken to address issues drive future improvement.