Caremark (Winchester & Eastleigh)

Updated 29 September 2018

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

This inspection took place on 23 and 26 July 2018. The provider was given 24 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

The inspection team consisted of 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.

Before this inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give us some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also checked other information we held about the service including previous inspection reports and notifications. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

During the inspection we spoke with 12 people receiving care and support and eight family members by telephone. We spoke with the registered manager, managing director, care coordinator, field supervisor and nine care staff. We looked at care records for nine people, medicines records and recruitment records for five care staff. We looked at other records in relation to the management of the service, such as health and safety, minutes of staff meetings and quality assurance records.

Following the inspection, we also received feedback from one external healthcare professional.

Updated 29 September 2018

We carried out this announced inspection on the 23 and 26 July 2018.The provider was given 24 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service; we needed to be sure that staff would be available to talk with us.

Caremark (Winchester & Eastleigh) provides personal care and support to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection the agency was providing a service for 67 older people with a variety of care needs, including people living with physical frailty or memory loss due to the progression of age.

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the service is run.

At our last inspection on 14 June 2016, we found one breach of regulation. The service was non-compliant with safe medicines procedures. The provider sent us an action plan detailing the steps they would take to become compliant with the regulations. During this inspection we found action had been taken and they were now compliant.

We received positive feedback from people about the service. People who used the service expressed great satisfaction and spoke highly of the care staff.

People felt safe with the service provided by Caremark (Winchester & Eastleigh). The risks to people were minimized through risk assessments, staff were aware of how to keep people safe and the information provided staff with clear guidelines to follow. There were plans in place for foreseeable emergencies.

Safe recruitment practices were followed and appropriate checks were undertaken, which helped make sure only suitable staff were employed to care for people in their own homes. Staff received training in safeguarding adults.

Staff completed a wide range of training and felt it supported them in their job role. New staff completed an induction before being permitted to work unsupervised. Staff told us they felt supported and received regular supervision and support to discuss areas of development. Staff meetings were held regularly. There were sufficient numbers of staff to maintain the schedule of care visits to meet people’s needs

People received their medicines safely. There were appropriate arrangements in place for managing medicines. Staff were trained in the handling of medicines. Staff contacted healthcare professionals when required.

People felt they were treated with kindness and said their privacy and dignity was respected. People were supported with their nutritional needs when needed. Staff had an understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and understood that people had the right to make their own choices.

Staff were responsive to people’s needs which were detailed in care plans. Care plans provided comprehensive information which helped ensure people received personalised care which met their needs.

People felt listened to and a complaints procedure was in place. Staff felt supported by the management and felt they could visit the office and be listened to. There were systems in place to monitor quality and safety of the service provided. The service had built up local links with the community.