Archived: Helping Hands Wilmslow

Updated 15 May 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection took place on 15 and 16 March 2018 and was announced.

The provider was given 48 hours’ notice prior to the inspection visit. Prior notice is provided because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that staff would be available on the day.

The inspection team consisted of one adult social care 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.

Before the inspection visit we reviewed the information which was held on Helping Hands Wilmslow. This included notifications we had received from the registered provider such as incidents which had occurred in relation to the people who were being supported. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send to us by law.

A Provider Information Return (PIR) was received prior to the inspection. This is the form that asks the provider to give some key information in relation to the service, what the service does well and what improvements need to be made. We also contacted commissioners and the local authority prior to the inspection. We used all of this information to plan how the inspection should be conducted.

During the inspection we spoke with the Interim Manager, quality partner, Head of Region, Area Manager, five members of staff, one person who was being supported and five relatives. We also spent time reviewing specific records and documents, including four care records of people who were receiving support, six staff personnel files, staff training records, medication administration records and audits, complaints, accidents and incidents, health and safety records, action plans, policies and procedures and other documentation relating to the overall management of the service.

Updated 15 May 2018

This inspection took place on 15 and 16 March, 2018 and was announced.

Helping Hands Wilmslow is a large domiciliary care agency. It provides care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to young and older adults. At the time of the inspection the registered provider was providing support to 55 people.

Not everyone being supported by Helping Hands Wilmslow received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

The was no registered manager in post at the time of the inspection however an application had been submitted by the interim manager who was awaiting approval from CQC.

A registered manager is a person who has registered with CQC 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 provider ensured that the quality and standard of the care being provided was being continuously monitored and assessed. People were receiving safe, compassionate and effective care and expressed that the quality and standard of care was that of good standard.

During the inspection we reviewed four care plans and risk assessments. Records contained up to date and relevant information, and were regularly reviewed. Appropriate assessments were conducted, care plans were devised and risks were assessed, monitored, and safely managed.

Care plans were individually tailored and people expressed that staff were familiar with their individual support needs.

We reviewed medication management processes during the inspection. People had the relevant medication care plan and risk assessment in place. There was medication ‘consent’ form which had been signed by each person who was being supported and staff had received the necessary medication training and competency assessments.

The registered provider’s recruitment processes were reviewed during the inspection. Personnel records were organised and comprehensive. All staff had suitable references and disclosure and barring system checks (DBS) in place. DBS checks ensure that staff who are employed are suitable to work within a health and social care setting. This enables the registered manager to assess level of suitability for working with vulnerable adults.

Staff received regular supervisions and annual appraisals. There was a thorough induction package in place, training was regularly provided and staff expressed that they were supported with their learning and development.

Accidents and incidents were recorded, monitored and trends were being analysed by the registered provider. All staff explained how they would report accidents/incidents and the processes they had to follow.

Health and safety policies and procedures were reviewed during the inspection. There was a health and safety policy that staff were complying with, staff were provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) and they were aware of the different infection prevention control measures.

People and relatives we spoke with during the inspection expressed that they were treated with dignity and respect and all staff were equipped to provide the support which was required. People expressed that staff were kind, compassionate and caring.

The day to day support needs of people was well managed by the registered provider. We saw evidence of support being provided by external healthcare professionals such as GP, district nurses, occupational therapists and dieticians.

Quality assurance processes were reviewed during the inspection. Such audits, checks and assessments included ‘spot checks’, medication and care plan audits, ‘client review meetings’, ‘client surveys’ and environmental checks. The registered provider ensured that the quality and standard of care was being assessed and improved upon. We saw evidence of care plan and risk assessment audits, medication audits, ‘spot checks’, new employee ‘competency assessments’, accident and incident analysis, ‘client reviews’ as well as there being a ‘live’ annual action plan.

A number of policies and procedures were reviewed during the inspection. Policies contained up to date information and were accessible to all staff as and when they needed them. All staff expressed their understanding of ‘safeguarding’ and ‘whistleblowing’ procedures. Staff knew how to report any concerns and had completed the necessary safeguarding training. This meant that people who were being supported were protected from harm and abuse.

The interim manager was aware of their regulatory responsibilities and understood that CQC needed to be notified of events and incidents that occurred in accordance with the CQC’s statutory notifications procedures. Statutory notifications were being appropriately submitted in a timely manner.