Care Quality Services Bristol

Updated 8 June 2022

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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by an inspector and an 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.

Service and service type

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

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave a short period notice of the inspection so that we could be sure there would be a member of staff available to support the inspection process.

Inspection activity started on 9 May 2022 and ended on 12 May 2022. We visited the office location on 9 May 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed all information held about the service since their registration with us. This included notifications. Notifications are information about specific events that the service are required to tell us about by law. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager and five members of staff. We spoke with six people who use the service, and four relatives/family friends. We reviewed care plans for five people. We reviewed other documents relating to the running of the service such as audits, safeguarding records and medicine records.

Updated 8 June 2022

About the service

Nobilis Bristol provides care to people in their own homes. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. 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.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were happy with the care they received. Relatives provided positive feedback and were satisfied with the staff that supported their family member. It was evident that positive relationships were built between staff and people they supported.

The service was safe. There were sufficient staff available to meet people’s care needs and safe recruitment procedures were in place. This included gathering references and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. Spot checks took place to ensure staff were performing as expected. Staff received training to enable them to care for people safely. This included safeguarding training so that they were able to identify and report signs of abuse.

The service was effective. Staff worked with health and social care professionals to ensure people’s needs were met. There was information contained in people’s care records to direct staff where to report concerns. For example, there were contact details available for GPs and district nurses. Staff were satisfied with the support and training they received; there were plans to develop the training further by creating a dedicated training room in the office.

The service was caring. People and their relatives told us staff were kind and provided good support, treating them with dignity and respect. The provider operated a scheme whereby each month, they chose a person to receive two extra hours of care, free of charge to enable them to undertake an activity they would otherwise be unable to do.

Support was responsive and could be flexible in accordance with people’s need. Care plans were personalised, providing details about the person’s life and individual needs. When end of life care was being provided, staff worked with professionals such as the local hospice.

The service was well led. There was an open and transparent culture within the service. The registered manager took concerns seriously, investigated them and reported back to the family concerned. There was a system in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service provided and this was effective in identifying shortfalls.

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.

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 23 February 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

We inspected the service in order to check standards and provide them with a rating.

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