ICare (GB) Limited - Trafford

Updated 10 February 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. An Expert by Experience made telephone calls to people and their relatives to gather their views on the service. 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.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

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

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. Inspection activity started on 10 January and ended on 18 January 2023. We visited the location on 11 January 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We also looked at notifications about important events that had taken place in the service, which the provider is required to tell us by law. 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 contacted health and social care professionals to obtain feedback about their experience of the service. These professionals included local authority commissioners. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with and received feedback from 5 members of staff on site; the registered manager, care co-ordinator, the chief operating officer and 2 care workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 4 people's care records and medication records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including electronic call monitoring records, policies and procedures were reviewed.

On 16 January 2023 we spoke with 4 people who used the service and 4 family members about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with an additional 3 care staff over the telephone to seek their views of the service. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 10 February 2023

About the service

ICare (GB) Limited – Trafford is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care to people living in their own homes in the community. People receiving care had a range of support needs; some people had long-term health conditions.

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. At the time of this inspection the agency was supporting 14 people, all of whom received personal care.

People's experience of using this service and what we found

People told us they felt safe. Staff understood the risks to people's safety and wellbeing and what they should do to keep people safe. Staff knew how to identify and raise concerns about safety; they were confident management would take them seriously. Medicines were managed safely, and staff ensured those who managed their own medicines remained well.

Systems were in place to recruit staff safely. There were sufficient numbers of trained staff to support people safely. Recruitment processes were robust and helped to ensure staff were of suitable character and had relevant experience to work with vulnerable people.

There were safe infection control procedures in place including enough supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE). The provider had infection control measures in place and people told us staff wore PPE. The provider worked with other healthcare professionals for the benefit of people using the service.

Staff had good relationships with other health professionals and liaised with stakeholders to ensure people received appropriate support. Health professionals we contacted were extremely complimentary about the responsiveness of the service and their approach to person-centred care.

Staff respected people's privacy and dignity. Core staff supported the same people as much as possible. This meant staff knew the people they cared for. People were supported in a friendly and respectful way. People and their relatives were complimentary about the staff and their caring attitude. People's care records were in place and reviewed regularly to guide staff on how to assist people safely and encourage their independence.

People and their relatives told us staff knew their needs and preferences well. People and relatives knew how to complain. Some people and relatives who had complained or raised informal concerns said changes had been made following their complaints; people were satisfied.

Policies and procedures were in place to guide staff practice. The registered manager could monitor standards of care delivery with a range of quality checks and audits. There was good use of technology to help with this. Regular supervision of staff was a priority for the service.

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.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The service was first registered on 14 October 2021 and this was the first inspection of the service.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. The overall rating for the service is good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for ICare (GB) Limited – Trafford on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.