Background to this inspection
Updated
20 April 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.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own home.
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 not a registered manager in post. The last registered manager left in December 2022 and a new manager started on 1 March 2023. The new manager had been registered with CQC previously and was in the process of completing their application to be registered with us.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
We visited the registered location office on 29 March and spoke with people on 30 March 2023
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. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 4 people about their experience of the care provided from the service. We spoke with 4 members of staff including the manager, coordinator and care workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included 2 people's care records, medication records, 3 staff files and a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.
Updated
20 April 2023
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.
At the time of the inspection, the location did not care or support for anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.
About the service
Care Matters (Homecare) Limited Darlington supports people to live in their own homes. The service provides personal care and support to people who may be living with dementia, of older age, a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder, a physical disability, sensory impairment or mental health needs. At the time of the inspection, the service was providing care to 23 people.
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
Right Support:
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.
Risks to people's health, safety and well-being were effectively managed. Medicines were administered safely. The provider had effective infection prevention and control systems in place.
People were supported to access specialist health and social care support where appropriate. People told us they felt safe when receiving support from staff. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it.
Right Care:
People told us staff arrived on time and they received support from the same good group of staff, which promoted good continuity of care. People's needs were assessed prior to the commencement of the service. The assessment included people's health, physical, emotional and communication needs. Care provided was personalised and supported people’s preferences and wishes. The new manager was reviewing all care plans with people and their relatives,
Staff respected people's privacy and dignity. People were encouraged to be independent and to carry out tasks without support.
People could communicate with staff and understand information given to them because staff supported them consistently and understood their individual communication needs.
Right Culture:
The provider had recruitment processes in place to ensure suitable staff were employed. People told us staff were kind, caring and promoted their dignity.
Systems were in place to manage complaints. The previous registered manager left at the end of 2022 and there was a gap in management support until March 2023. A new manager was now in post and in the process of applying to be registered with CQC. People and staff spoke positively about the new manager and they had plans in place to meet with all staff and people to review their support needs.
Systems to monitor the quality and safety of the service were in place.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 5 February 2019).
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.