Archived: Age Concern York In Safe Hands Services

Updated 5 October 2019

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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.

Inspection team

One inspector carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

The service had a manager registered with the CQC. 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 registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 13 August 2019 and ended on 29 August 2019. We visited the office location on 13 August 2019.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information available to us about this service. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse; and we sought feedback from the local authority. The provider sent us a provider information return prior to the inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does 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 the registered manager, the nominated individual, two care organisers, one support worker and one administrator.

We looked at three people’s care records in full and one person's care records in part. This included one person’s medication administration records and a selection of documentation about the management and running of the service. We looked at recruitment information for two members of staff, staff training records, policies and procedures and complaints.

After the inspection

We spoke with one support worker and a family member over the telephone and met with one service user and their family member in their own home.

Updated 5 October 2019

About the service:

Age Concern York In Safe Hands Services is a domiciliary care service that can provide care and support to people living with dementia, learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder, mental health, older people and people with physical disabilities. The service provides support to the main carer, who looks after an adult at home, so that they can have a break from their caring role. They employ paid care staff and volunteers and support is usually two or four hourly visits weekly or fortnightly. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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 the inspection the service was supporting 50 people. Eleven people were receiving regulated care.

People’s experience of using this service:

We received very positive views from people and their relatives about the support provided to them. Relatives told us that staff were kind and respectful.

Care and support was tailored to each person's needs and preferences. People and their relatives were fully involved in developing and updating their planned care. People were supported with activities and interests to suit them. Staff and volunteers spent time getting to know people and their likes and dislikes.

Recruitment checks were carried out to ensure staff were suitable to work in the service. Staff had received appropriate training and support to enable them to carry out their role.

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. We made a recommendation about best practice in relation to consent.

People received their medicines safely. The registered manager had positive links with health care professionals which promoted people’s wellbeing.

Relatives and staff told us the registered manager was approachable and listened to them when they had any concerns. All feedback was used to make continuous improvements to the service. The provider had systems in place to safeguard people from abuse and staff demonstrated an awareness of safety and how to minimise risks.

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 16 February 2017).

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.