We carried out a review of the data available to us about Doves Healthcare Ltd on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Doves Healthcare Ltd, you can give feedback on this service.
Doves Healthcare Ltd is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to seven people at the time of the inspection. The office is based in Guildford, and all the people they support live in the local area.
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 positive about the care and support they received from Doves Healthcare. They told us they felt safe, and that staff had the skills and experience needed to give them the care they needed. They described staff as being caring and that their privacy and dignity were respected.
People were supported to keep safe in their homes because risks to their health were assessed and guidelines were put in place to minimise them coming to harm. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities with regards to keeping people safe from abuse.
The registered manager made sure that appropriate checks were carried out on prospective staff to ensure they were safe and suitable to work with people who used Doves Healthcare Ltd.
People told us their care calls were rarely late, and they had never had a call missed. Staff spent the allotted time with people and made sure their needs were met before they left. For most care calls people had the same staff visit them, with this only changing due to sickness or to cover holidays.
People’s needs were assessed before they used the service which ensured that these needs were known by staff and that people’s equality and diversity was understood and respected. Where required, people were supported to eat and drink, with any special dietary needs being understood by staff. When the need arose for example, due to a change in health, people were supported to access healthcare services.
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 had care plans which gave staff guidance on the care and support that they wanted. People confirmed that staff gave them the care and support as detailed in these plans. People knew how to complain and were confident their complaints would be addressed.
People were positive about the management of the service. They told us they felt the agency was well run and that the registered manager listened to what they said. The service had quality assurance systems in place, which were used to good effect and to continuously improve on the quality of the care provided.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
At the last inspection this service was rated requires improvement (report published 05 February 2019). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve.
At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Doves Healthcare Ltd is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes in the community. It provides a service to older people some of whom may be living with dementia or physical disability. At the time of our inspection the service provided a regulated activity to six people.
Rating at last inspection
At our last inspection we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good for Effective, Caring and Responsive but improvements were required in Safe and Well Led. The service has now been rated as Requires Improvement overall.
Medicines were not always being managed in a safe way and there was a risk that people did not receive their medicine when required. Risks assessments were not always reviewed when an incident occurred. Accidents and incidents reports were not always updated with the actions taken to reduce further occurrence.
Audits were not always robust and did not always identify the shortfalls around the completion of medicine charts and daily care records. Daily notes lacked information on the care that was provided.
Care plans did not always detail people’s backgrounds and there was at times a lack of guidance around people’s needs. We have made a recommendation around this.
Other risks to people’s care was managed well by staff. People were safe with staff and staff were aware of the safeguarding procedures. There were sufficient levels of staff on duty to ensure that people’s needs were met. There was robust recruitment processes in place before staff started work. Staff understood how to reduce the risk of spreading infections.
People’s consent was sought before care was delivered. Other than the competency checks around medicines, staff were receiving appropriate supervision that related to their role. Training was up to date for staff and staff told us that they felt supported by the registered manager.
Assessments of people’s needs were undertaken before they started receiving care. People were supported with their health needs and referrals were made to health care professionals where needed. People were provided with sufficient food and drinks when needed. No one at the service was receiving end of life care.
People were treated in a kind and caring way. Relatives told us that their family members were treated with respect and staff helped to maintain people’s independence. People were asked what care they wanted and felt involved in their care planning.
Relatives told us that they would speak to staff or the registered manager if they had any concerns. There was a complaints procedure should anyone wish to complain and we saw that complaints were investigated fully.
The registered manager continually requesting feedback from people and relatives about the quality of care. People fed back positive comments about the care. Calls were made to staff each day to ensure that they arrived at the calls. Staff consulted with outside professionals to ensure the best delivery of care. People, relatives and staff felt that the service was well managed. Staff felt supported, valued and listened to.
The registered manager had informed the CQC of significant events including safeguarding and incidents.
There are two breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.
The inspection took place on 26 May 2016 and was announced. This was the first inspection of the service since it registered with CQC on 03 September 2014.
The agency had a registered manager in place. 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.’
The registered manager carried out appropriate checks before recruiting staff, but records did not contain copies of photographic ID. We recommended that records be updated to include photographic ID for all staff.
Policies and procedures were in place to assess and manage risks in order to keep people safe.
Staff understood their role in safeguarding people and knew how to raise concerns. The agency had a safeguarding policy that complied with legislation. We saw that staff had all received training in safeguarding.
Medicines were administered by trained staff and in line with the instructions of healthcare professionals. Measures were in place to respond to medicine errors should they occur.
People were supported by trained staff. Staff had a thorough induction and were provided with training and development opportunities.
Care was provided in line with current legislation. Staff demonstrated a good knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and the correct processes were followed when providing care in somebody’s best interests.
People told us that the staff who supported them were kind and friendly. Systems were in place that ensured people were matched with staff who they would get along with.
Care plans and assessments were person-centred and reflected people’s individuality.
Systems were in place for people to complain or provide feedback and compliments.
The registered manager was looking at ways to improve the service as it grows.
Quality assurance audits were being frequently undertaken through spot checks and reviews. The registered manager has plans to improve auditing procedures when the service increases in capacity.