The inspection was announced and took place on the 12 July 2016. The service is registered to provide personal care to people within their own home in the St Helens area. At the time of the inspection, there were two people using the service.
A registered manager had been in post within the service since November 2014. 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.
People were protected from the risk of abuse. Staff had completed safeguarding training, and were aware of how and when to report any concerns they may have. Records contained examples where appropriate action had been taken to keep people safe.
There were sufficient numbers of staff in place to meet people’s needs. People commented that the staff arrived on time, and that care calls were not missed. They also confirmed that staff stayed the full amount of time. Robust recruitment measures were in place to ensure that staff were of suitable character.
Accidents and incidents records showed that appropriate action was taken to keep people safe, and to minimise the risk of issues reoccurring. This ensured that people’s safety was maintained. Risk assessments which were in place helped to ensure people safety.
Staff had undertaken relevant training to enable them to effectively carry out their role. This included training that helped them to manage specific needs related to people’s health needs. There was an induction program in place for new staff to ensure they had the skills they needed.
Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and their roles and responsibilities in relation to this. People commented that they were given choice and control over their care by staff. This ensured that people’s rights and liberties were being protected.
People and their relatives commented positively on how staff conducted themselves, stating that they were kind and respectful. People were consistently supported by the same staff, which helped to facilitate the development of positive relationships.
People’s care records contained personalised information around their care needs. This meant that staff had access to clear and up-to-date information around how they should support people. This included information around people’s interests, hobbies, personal histories and preferred daily routines. Information was reviewed on a routine basis so that it remained up-to-date.
People confirmed that they were supported to engage in activities. This protected them from the risk of social isolation, and helped maintain their involvement within the local community.
Audit processes were in place around care plans and staff training. Where actions were identified there was not a clear system in place to show when these needed to be completed by, or whether these had been completed. The registered manager confirmed that they were looking at implementing a new system around this. Appropriate action had been taken in response to accidents and incidents to help keep people safe and to minimise the risk of reoccurrences.