25 February 2020
During a routine inspection
Interserve Healthcare - Suffolk and Essex is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care to children and adults living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection 22 people were using the service which included four children. The service also provided live in support.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People and their families told us they were happy with the care they received from the service. They felt safe with the staff who supported them.
Risks to people had been assessed and staff knew what to do to keep people safe. Staff followed good infection control practices and equipment was available for them to use. People’s medicines were safely managed by staff who had been trained and assessed as competent.
Safe recruitment practices were in place. There were enough staff to meet people’s current needs and the recruitment of suitable staff was ongoing. Lessons were learnt when things had gone wrong.
People received their calls from regular staff who knew them well. Staff were generally on time and stayed for the full duration of the agreed call times. Office and management staff were helpful and efficient.
Staff were trained well and competent in their role. Staff received supervision and appraisals to monitor their performance and identify any learning needs.
Where required people received help with eating and drinking which met their needs and preferences. Health and social care professionals provided support and advice to staff and liaised closely with the service in relation to people’s health and wellbeing.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. Policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People and their families were treated with dignity and respect and their independence was promoted. Privacy was encouraged and maintained.
People’s needs had been assessed and their wishes and preferences were known and respected. The service was responsive to people’s needs and provided care and support the way people liked it. There were policies and procedures in place to manage complaints appropriately. Children and adults were cared for at the end of their life.
People, their relatives and staff were positive about how the service was managed. The registered manager and deputy manager were visible and approachable. Staff had the opportunity to develop their knowledge and felt well supported.
Systems were in place to ensure good oversight of the service. Quality assurance processes to monitor safety and quality and identify any areas requiring improvement were robust.
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 24 January 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.