We carried out a review of the data available to us about Saxon Care Solutions Limited 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 Saxon Care Solutions Limited, you can give feedback on this service.
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
At the last inspection, medicine administration systems were not always clear, and this impacted on safety. At this inspection, improvements had been made. New medicine administration records had been developed and additional one-to-one training with staff had been completed. A new electronic medicine administration system was in the process of being implemented and medicine auditor posts were being introduced.
People received a reliable service and risks to their safety were identified and addressed. People were supported by staff who were aware of their responsibilities to recognise and report potential abuse. There were enough staff and they worked in ways to prevent and control infection. Reflective practice took place to improve the service.
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. However, records did not always support this practice. We recommended that any decisions made on behalf of a person was done so, and documented, in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
People were assisted by staff who were well supported and valued. Staff received a range of training to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. People were appropriately supported with meal and drink preparation and any assistance required was clearly stated in the individual’s support plan.
People were complimentary about the staff and a range of compliments had been received about the service. Staff knew people well and established relationships had been built. People’s rights to dignity, privacy, respect and independence were promoted.
People received a personalised service that was tailored to their needs. Support was provided at a time that was convenient to the individual. Each person had a detailed, comprehensive support plan which detailed their needs, preferences and support required. Due to the length of the plan, the manager had identified a more concise format would be of benefit. They were in the process of talking to staff about this. There was a positive approach to complaints and the way in which they could be used to improve the service.
The manager was in the process of registering with the Care Quality Commission to become the registered manager. The manager and director were very involved with the day to day management of the service and worked well together. There was a positive, inclusive and supportive culture and a strong desire to deliver high quality care.
Rating at last inspection - The last rating for this service was Good. (The report was published on 14 March 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up: We will monitor all intelligence about the service and complete another inspection in line with this and our frequency of inspection guidance.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
The service was last inspected in November 2013 and was found to be meeting all of the standards assessed.
This inspection took place on 15 December 2016. This was an announced inspection which meant the provider was given notice before we visited. This was because the location provides a home care service. We wanted to make sure the registered manager, or someone who could act on their behalf, would be available to support our inspection.
There was a registered manager in post at the service. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
Systems to support people with their medicines were not always clear. It was not always recorded what action was needed to support people with medicines that were prescribed to be taken ‘as required’. The registered manager acknowledged this shortfall and said immediate action would be taken to clarify issues in the care plan. Despite the lack of clear information in the care plan, staff had worked with the person’s relatives and had received specific training about the person’s needs and how to administer their medicines.
People who use the service and their relatives were positive about the care they received and praised the quality of the staff and management. Comments from people included, “I feel very safe in their hands. They know exactly what they are doing”, “I think they are very well trained, they all do a very good job” and “They are all very good, very capable”.
People told us they felt safe when receiving care and were involved in developing and reviewing their care plans. Systems were in place to protect people from abuse and harm and staff knew how to use them.
Staff understood the needs of the people they were providing care for. Staff were appropriately trained and skilled. They received a thorough induction when they started working for the service and demonstrated a good understanding of their role and responsibilities. Staff had completed training to ensure the care and support provided to people was safe and effective to meet their needs. Comments from staff included, “They’re very accommodating and work around any issues. We are not expected to do things we’re not confident about”, “We are able to raise concerns at any time and they will drop everything. I feel 100% supported” and “I feel well supported. We are able to raise any concerns and I am clear about the values of the company”.
The service was responsive to people’s needs and wishes. People had regular meetings to provide feedback about their care and there was an effective complaints procedure. People and their relatives felt they could contact the office if needed and they also had contact numbers out of office hours, in case of an emergency.
The provider regularly assessed and monitored the quality of the service provided. Feedback from people and their relatives was encouraged and was used to make improvements to the service.
We carried out this further inspection because we received concerns expressed by an ex-member of staff. Their concerns related to care and welfare, safeguarding arrangements and staffing. We also looked at the way complaints were handled because the agency had received a complaint from an ex-member of staff.
As part of this inspection we contacted the relative of one of the people who used the service. They told us they continued to be happy with the care provided by the agency care staff. They said that care staff involved them when providing personal assistance ensuring they knew about the healing of a pressure area. The relative told us they knew everything that was happening in relation to the care provided.
We spoke with one of the care staff when they visited the agency. They said they enjoyed their work and were familiar with the agency's policies.
This report should be read alongside the report we published in June 2013.
We spoke with six people who received a service and one person's relative. Some people said they received information about the support available from the agency while others said they had not and their care had been arranged by health and social professionals or they had transferred from another service.
People said the support they received enabled them to remain as independent as possible and that support met their needs. They did have concerns about late calls. Each person we spoke with felt that staff treated them with respect and they gave consent to the support they received. People told us they were supported with medicines and we saw evidence of recording of this. One person felt that sometimes, the office staff were not supportive and another person criticised the availability of the office staff at times.
Staff were recruited as required. The process for gaining employment with the agency was rigorous with appropriate checks carried out to ensure that staff were appropriate.
People we spoke with knew how to make a complaint.
We carried out a themed inspection looking at domiciliary care services. We asked people to tell us what it was like to receive services from this home care agency as part of a targeted inspection programme of domiciliary care agencies with particular regard to how people's dignity was upheld and how they can make choices about their care. The inspection team was led by a CQC inspector joined by an 'expert by experience', people who have experience of using services and who can provide that perspective and a professional advisor.'
We used telephone interviews and home visits to people who use the service and to their main carers (a relative or friends) to gain views about the service. We also spent time with the provider, the manager and office staff.
People reported that they got the help that they needed and expected to receive. They were happy with the service they received but did make comments that care staff travelling time (in between different people they were supporting), affected the timing of their visits. People did not report that this impacted upon the care they received. Comments we received included 'the carers treat me very nicely and are always very polite', 'I am treated with the utmost courtesy' and 'if I was at all unhappy about the service I was receiving I would speak out. I have experienced poor support from other agencies but you can not fault Saxon Care'.
Care staff spoke respectfully about the people they supported, and talked of the importance of confidentiality and dignity in care. Care staff spoke about how they supported the families of people receiving a service, as well.