About the service Valor Care Services, Training and Consultancy Limited is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection 15 older people were using the service.
People’s experience of using this service
People told us they remained happy with the way staff treated them, which was always with respect and dignity. People typically described the staff who provided their personal care as “friendly” and “kind”.
However, although we continued to rate the agency as good for the key questions caring and responsive, we found it was not always safe, effective or well-led. This was because we received mixed feedback from people about staff not always arriving on time for their scheduled visits; staff not being properly checked during their recruitment, or trained and supported thereafter; and, systems to monitor the safety and quality of the service they provided were not always operated effectively.
These negative comments notwithstanding we saw people were cared for and supported by staff who knew how to manage risk. The service had safeguarding procedures in place and staff had a clear understanding of how to keep people safe from abuse and neglect. People received they medicines as they were prescribed. The services arrangements for controlling infection remained effective.
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. Where staff were responsible for this, people were supported to maintain a nutritionally well-balanced diet. People continued to be supported to stay healthy and well and had access to the relevant health care professionals as required.
People were treated equally and had their human rights and diversity respected, including their spiritual and cultural needs and wishes. People were encouraged and supported to develop their independent living skills. Assessments of people’s support needs were carried out before they started using the service.
Care plans were personalised and up to date, which ensured people received personal care that was tailored to meet their individual needs and wishes. Managers and staff understood the Accessible Information Standard and ensured people were given information in a way they could easily understand. People were encouraged to make decisions about the care and support they received and had their choices respected. People were satisfied with the way the provider dealt with their concerns and complaints. People’s end of life care wishes was recorded in their care plans.
People, their relatives and staff all spoke positively about the way the registered manager/owner ran her business. The provider promoted an open and inclusive culture which sought the views of people using the service, their relatives and staff. The provider worked in close partnership with other health and social care professionals and agencies to plan and deliver people’s packages of care and support.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at the last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 28 February 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Enforcement
We have identified a breach in relation to staff training and support. This was because we found staff were not receiving the right amount of training and support they needed to effectively perform their personal care roles and responsibilities. This meant people were at risk of receiving personal care from staff who did not have the right knowledge, skills or support to meet their needs and wishes.
Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.