Care For All

Updated 15 November 2017

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 12 and 13 September 2017 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours' notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in the office when we visited.

The inspection team consisted of one adult social care inspector 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. The Expert by Experience in this case, had experience of caring for older people. They supported our inspection by making telephone calls to people who used the service and their relatives to help us understand their experiences and views on the service provided.

Before our inspection, we reviewed all the information we held about the service. We examined notifications received by the Care Quality Commission. Notifications contain information about changes, events or incidents that the provider is legally required to send us. We spoke with the local authority commissioning and safeguarding teams. We also contacted the local Healthwatch. Healthwatch are a consumer group who champion the rights of people using healthcare services.

Before the inspection, the provider completed 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 what improvements they plan to make. This document had been completed prior to our visit and we used this information to inform our inspection.

During the inspection, we reviewed six people's care files, three staff files and medication administration records. We looked at a range of records relating to the management of the service. We spoke with 13 people who used the service, three by visiting them in their homes. We spoke with eight relatives of people who used the service. We spoke with four care staff, the deputy manager and the provider. We also asked for feedback from external professionals who were involved in supporting people who used the service.

Updated 15 November 2017

Care for All is a small domiciliary care service. It offers care and support to people in their own homes. The service covers Scarborough, Filey and the surrounding villages. The provider is registered to support younger adults and older people with a wide range of needs including, dementia, mental health, a physical disability or sensory impairment.

The provider is Mrs Phyllis Robertson. The provider is an individual 'registered person' and, as such, there is no requirement for them to have a registered manager for this service. 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. We will refer to the provider as the 'manager' throughout this report.

At the last inspection on 3 July 2015, the service was rated ‘Good’ overall.

We inspected this service on 12 and 13 September 2017. The manager was given 48 hours' notice of our inspection; because we needed to be sure someone would be in the location office when we visited. At the time of our inspection, there were 80, mainly older people, using the service who were receiving support with personal care. At this inspection, we found the service remained ‘Good’ with outstanding standards of care delivery.

People told us they felt safe and well cared for and staff were able to tell us what they would do to ensure people were safe.

Medicines were administered in the correct manner and handled safely to protect people.

Staff were recruited safely. The service had sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff deployed to care for people who used the service. People were protected by the infection control procedures followed by staff.

Training was up to date across a range of relevant areas. Staff were knowledgeable and demonstrated they had the skills and aptitude required to provide care to people who used the service.

Staff had received up to date training on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Staff understood that people should be consulted about their care and understood the principles of the MCA. People were supported to make choices and best interest decisions were made when required. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People's nutrition and hydration needs were met. People enjoyed the meals and had choices around their meals and drinks.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff worked in a person-centred manner and treated people with dignity and respect. Staff had positive, genuine relationships with the people they supported and were passionate about their role. People told us staff were exceptionally kind and caring and always went the extra mile.

The manager and the staff worked in a proactive, person-centred manner, which put the person at the heart of the care provision. The manager and the staff were exceptionally flexible in responding to people's needs and demonstrated ingenuity and vision when devising packages of care. People consistently told us the manager and the staff went above and beyond their duties when providing care to them.

Staff worked well together as a team. They had good shared knowledge about people’s needs and they used this knowledge to ensure the best outcomes for people were achieved.

Care plans contained detailed information which reflected people's individual requirements and detailed their preferences. Care plans were kept up to date when people's needs changed. People were involved in devising their care plan and they had active input into the reviews of their care. People’s choices and preferences were respected and acted upon.

Records and observations provided evidence that people were treated in a way which encouraged them to feel valued and cared about. Staff were knowledgeable about the people they supported and demonstrated warmth and empathy.

People told us their complaints were responded to in a timely fashion and dealt with in a manner they approved of. People were confident their concerns would be listened to.

The provider supported the staff to be effective in their role. Staff told us the provider was approachable and empathetic.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.