Nurseplus UK - Swindon

Updated 17 August 2019

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector and one 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 in the community. The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

The inspection activity started on 13 June 2019 and ended on 18 June 2019. We visited the office location on 13 June 2019. On 13 and 14 June 2019 we contacted people and their relatives to obtain their opinion on the quality of the service provided to them. We contacted staff on 18 June 2019.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and six relatives of people about their experience of the care provided. We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, was reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate the evidence found at the inspection. We looked at additional evidence provided by the registered manager and we contacted four members of staff to obtain their opinion on the quality of the service provided to people.

Updated 17 August 2019

About the service

Nurseplus UK – Swindon provides a domiciliary care service to enable people living in Swindon and the surrounding areas to maintain their independence at home. There were 34 people using the service at the time of the inspection, who had a wide range of physical and health care needs. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The CQC only inspects services where people receive personal care which is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where services offer personal care, we also consider any wider social care provided.

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

People and relatives were delighted with the kindness and thoughtfulness of staff, which exceeded their expectations of how they would be cared for and supported. People and their relatives told us the support they received significantly improved their well-being. We saw examples of staff going the extra mile for people, for instance taking extra steps to communicate with people in their native language or assisting people in a hospital environment. In the opinions that people and their relatives shared with us, both staff, and the care they provided to people were exceptional.

People were safe. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Staff were aware of their responsibilities to report concerns and understood how to keep people safe. Individual risks were identified, and staff had risk management guidelines to rely on and used these to inform the support they provided to people. People received their medicines as prescribed.

People had their needs assessed prior to receiving care to ensure staff were able to meet people’s needs. Staff worked with various local social and health care professionals. We saw that referrals for specialist advice were submitted in a timely manner.

Systems and processes were put in place to help ensure people were safe and the care they received was delivered by suitably trained staff, and based on best practice.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and acted in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People were supported to access health professionals and maintain a good diet.

People were treated with respect and their dignity was maintained. People were also supported to maintain their independence. The provider had an equality and diversity policy which stated their commitment to equal opportunities and diversity.

Care records contained clear information covering all aspects of people's individualised care and support. Information about people was written in a respectful and personalised way.

Regular checks were completed of records, and feedback was collected from people, their relatives and staff. These helped ensure the service was able to act on any need for improvement.

People, relatives and staff were complimentary about the management of the service. The registered manager had promoted a positive, transparent and open culture where staff worked well as a team. The provider had effective quality assurance systems in place which were used to drive improvement.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 22 June 2016).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information, we may inspect sooner.