Crossroads Caring for Carers

Updated 14 May 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: The inspection was completed by one inspector.

Service and service type: Crossroads Caring for Carers is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. The CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also take into account any wider social care provided.

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 two working days' notice of the inspection site visit, so the registered manager could arrange for staff to speak with us on the day of the inspection.

We visited the office location on 5 March 2019 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures. We contacted people who used the service and their relatives on 3 and 9 April 2019.

What we did: Before the inspection, we looked at information sent to us since the last inspection such as notifications about accidents, safeguarding alerts and the Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We contacted the local authority contracts and commissioning teams and adult safeguarding teams. We also contacted Healthwatch, the consumer champion for health and social care, to ask if they had any information to share.

During the inspection, we spoke with four people who used the service and three relatives. We spoke with the registered manager, care manager, one senior carer and three care support workers. We received feedback from two health and social care professionals.

We looked at a range of documentation such as care files and medication records for 12 people. We looked at other records for the management of the service such as recruitment, induction, supervision and staff training. We also looked at surveys, audits, compliments and complaints and technology being used in the service.

Updated 14 May 2019

About the service: Crossroads Caring for Carers is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides a service to younger and older adults. At the time of the inspection, they were providing a regulated activity of personal care and support to 102 people.

People’s experience of using this service: People were happy with the care provided and spoke positively about their experiences with staff. Staff were described as “nice, friendly and competent.”

People were kept safe from avoidable harm and abuse and there were enough staff to safely meet people’s care and support needs. People’s needs were assessed and risks to people’s safety were identified but risks associated with people’s healthcare needs were not always recorded. We made a recommendation about the management of some risks.

Staff told us they felt well supported by the management team and received regular supervision and appraisals. Staff received appropriate training and were supported to undertake specialist training to meet people’s needs.

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. Staff were trained in mental capacity legislation and understood their responsibilities. They gained consent before providing care and supported people to make their own decisions and choices.

Staff were respectful and built trusting relationships with people. They supported people to maintain their dignity and independence. Equality and diversity were respected and people were recognised as individuals. People were supported to access services and activities in the local community.

People were supported to access healthcare services in a timely manner. Staff were compassionate when providing end of life care and supported people to have pain-free, dignified deaths.

The registered manager had an open and honest approach and supported staff professionally and personally. They were keen to develop the service and worked with other organisations to develop services that benefitted the local community. The management team listened to people’s feedback and responded to issues and concerns to continually improve the service. Governance processes were not always recorded and did not always identify or address shortfalls.

Rating at last inspection: Good (The last report was published 28 July 2016).

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor this service and inspect in line with our re-inspection schedule or sooner if we receive information of concern.

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