Palm Tree Home Care Limited

Updated 15 June 2023

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 one 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 the service 48 hours' notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used all this information to plan our inspection. 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 provider/registered manager, acting manager, office manager and senior care worker. We looked at a variety of records relating to the care and support provided. This included 3 care files and 3 staff files in relation to recruitment, and various audits/reports relating to the quality and safety of the service. We requested a variety of records were sent to us relating to staff training and regards the management of the service. We visited one person receiving a service with their consent in their own home. After our visit we received feedback from 3 health professionals and 9 staff. We spoke to 7 people who received a service and 8 relatives on the telephone. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 15 June 2023

About the service

Palm Tree Home Care Limited is a domiciliary care service, supporting adults in the community who require assistance with personal care. 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. At the time of our inspection there were 77 people receiving personal care.

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

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 felt safe and supported by staff in their homes. Comments included, “[Person’s name] is incredibly happy with Palm Tree. Their usual carer is very professional and caring and never makes them feel rushed. They were nervous about having care, but the carers put their mind at rest. There is a high standard of care from everyone” and “It’s like having a good reliable friend that comes to visit. You look forward to seeing them and you know they will always do their best. They even sit and chat afterwards if they have time – that means a lot.”

Staff demonstrated an understanding of what might constitute abuse and knew how to report any concerns they might have.

People's individual risks were identified, and risk assessment reviews were carried out to identify ways to keep people safe.

Medicines were managed as necessary.

Effective infection control measures were in place.

People confirmed that staffing arrangements met their needs. They were happy with staff timekeeping and confirmed they always stayed the allotted time. Staffing arrangements matched the support commissioned and staff skills were integral to this to suit people's needs. Where a person's needs increased or decreased, staffing was adjusted accordingly.

There were effective staff recruitment and selection processes in place. People received effective care and support from a regular, small team of staff who were well trained and competent.

Care files were personalised to reflect people's personal preferences. Their views and suggestions were taken into account to improve the service.

Health and social care professionals were regularly involved in people's care to ensure they received the care and treatment which was right for them.

Staff and management relationships with people were caring and supportive. Staff provided care that was kind and compassionate.

Staff spoke positively about communication and how the registered manager worked well with them, valuing their work and encouraging their professional development.

A number of methods were used to assess the quality and safety of the service people received. The service made continuous improvements in response to their findings.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 27 January 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service and length of time since the last inspection. We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.