Care Options

Updated 18 December 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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, 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 visited the agency’s office to check records and speak with managers and staff. Two inspectors made telephone calls to people who used the service and their relatives to hear their feedback.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours notice of the inspection visit because we needed to be sure a member of the management team would be available to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 17 October 2019 and ended on 23 October 2019. We visited the office location on 17 October 2019.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to older people living in their own houses and flats.

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.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the evidence we had about the service. This included any notifications of significant events, such as serious injuries or safeguarding referrals. Notifications are information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

During the inspection

We visited the agency’s office and spoke with two care managers and five care staff. We checked care records for four people, including their assessments, care plans and risk assessments. We looked at four staff files and records of staff training and supervision. We also checked records including complaints, accident and incident records, quality monitoring checks and audits.

After the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and four relatives to hear their views about the care and support provided. The provider sent us further information, including staff training records and the business contingency plan.

Updated 18 December 2019

About the Service

Care Options is a domiciliary care agency that was supporting 66 older people at the time of the inspection, some of whom were living with dementia.

People’s experience of using this service

People felt safe when staff provided their care. They said staff understood and followed the guidance in their care plans. Any potential risks to people were identified and managed effectively. Staff helped people keep their homes clean and wore gloves and aprons when necessary. Although people received their medicines when they needed them, there were some discrepancies in the recording of some medicines. We have made a recommendation about this.

There were enough staff employed to meet all the agency’s care commitments. The agency’s recruitment procedures helped ensure that only suitable staff were employed. Staff attended safeguarding training and knew how to recognise and report potential abuse.

People’s care was provided by regular staff who understood their needs and preferences. Staff were kind and caring and had developed positive relationships with the people they supported. People were encouraged and supported to maintain their independence. Staff treated people with respect and maintained their privacy and dignity when providing their care.

Staff had the induction and ongoing training they needed for their roles. The induction process included shadowing experienced staff to understand people’s needs and preferences about their care. Staff were well-supported by the management team and had access to advice when they needed it. Staff met with their line managers for one-to-one supervision, which provided opportunities to discuss their performance and training needs.

People’s needs were assessed before they used the service. People were involved in their assessments and planning their care. Care plans were reviewed regularly to ensure they continued to accurately reflect people’s needs. Staff monitored people’s health effectively and reported any concerns promptly. Some people told us the quality of support they received from staff had helped them regain good health. The agency communicated effectively with other professionals to ensure people’s healthcare needs were met. People who received support with meals said staff understood their dietary needs and prepared their food in the way they preferred. Staff encouraged people who were reluctant to eat to maintain adequate nutrition.

Care was planned to meet people’s individual needs. 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. People had recorded their consent to care and told us staff asked for their consent on a day-to-day basis.

The agency provided reliable, well-planned care. People could always contact the agency when they needed to and access the information they required. People said staff time-keeping was good and that they were kept informed of any changes. Spot checks were carried out to ensure staff provided people’s care safely and in the way they preferred.

The agency contacted people regularly to seek their views and acted on their feedback. Any complaints received were managed in line with the agency’s written complaints procedure. Complaints had been investigated by the registered manager and action taken to address the issues raised.

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

Rating at last inspection:

The service was rated Good at the last inspection (published 25 November 2016).

Why we inspected:

This was a scheduled inspection based on the rating awarded at the previous inspection.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service through notifications and communication with partner agencies such as local authorities and other commissioners. We will inspect the service again according to the rating achieved at this inspection unless we receive information of concern, in which case we may inspect sooner.