Background to this inspection
Updated
31 July 2019
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 Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
This inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal and nursing care to people living in their own homes.
The service had three managers registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. We also needed to obtain people’s consent to contact them.
Inspection activity started on 2 July 2019 and ended on 3 July 2019. We visited the office location on 2 July 2019.
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 the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with four people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with nine members of staff including the registered managers, nurses, care workers and office staff. We also spoke with the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were also reviewed.
Updated
31 July 2019
About the service
Interserve Healthcare is a domiciliary care agency which provides assistance with personal and nursing care to people living in their own homes.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People felt safe with the staff who supported them. One person said, “I get a rota so I always know who will be visiting me. If there are new staff, they are always introduced to me.” Risks to people were monitored and procedures were in place to help keep people safe. There were safe systems for administration of people's prescribed medicines. People were supported by adequate numbers of staff who were safe and competent to work with them. People were protected from the risks associated with the control and spread of infection.
People were supported by staff who were well trained and competent in their role. A relative told us, “The staff are definitely on the ball and they’re very skilled at what they do. I know they get a lot of training.” People were assessed before they used the service to ensure their needs and preferences could be met. Staff understood the importance of ensuring people's rights were understood and protected. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People's health care and nutritional needs were monitored and understood by staff.
People were supported by kind and compassionate staff who ensured they were fully involved in decisions about their care. People were treated with respect and their right to privacy was understood and respected by staff.
People and their relatives told us they received a service which met their needs and preferences. One person said, “I have the same staff all the time and they are all so lovely. They are like good friends.” A relative told us, “My [relative] always smiles when the carers arrive. I know they are happy and comfortable with them.” People’s communication needs were assessed and understood by staff. People were provided with information in a format which met their needs. People felt confident that any concerns would be taken seriously, and action would be taken to address them. There were systems in place to ensure people’s preferences during their final days and following death were understood and respected.
The service was effectively managed by a team who were committed to providing a high standard of person-centred care. The provider and management team promoted an open and honest ethos and learned from mistakes. Staff were motivated and well trained and there were effective systems to ensure staff remained competent in their role. People’s views about the service were valued and there were effective procedures in place to continually monitor and improve the quality of service people received.
Rating at last inspection
The service was rated good at our last inspection (report published December 2016).
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.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk