Hills Angels Homecare

Updated 9 February 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.

This was an announced inspection and we gave the registered manager five days’ notice of the inspection site visit. This was because the service is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care and we needed to be sure that they would be in. This announced inspection was carried out by one inspector and an expert by experience. The expert by experience had knowledge of care services including domiciliary services. The inspection site visit activity started on 8 January 2018 and ended on 15 January 2018. It included telephone calls to four people and their relatives. We also spoke with five staff members, and the registered manager. We visited the office location on 15 January 2018 to see the registered manager; and to review care records and policies and procedures.

We reviewed information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We looked at four people’s care records to see if their records were accurate and up to date. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service including quality checks and recruitment records. We reviewed statutory notifications the registered manager had sent us and information received from people that used the service. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law.

Updated 9 February 2018

We inspected the service on 8 and 15 January 2018. Hills Angels Homecare is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older adults and younger disabled adults. Not everyone using this service receives regulated activity; 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.

This announced inspection was carried out by one inspector and an expert by experience. The expert by experience had knowledge of care services including domiciliary services.

There was a registered manager in 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

At our previous inspection in January 2016 we rated the service as ‘Requires Improvement’ as information to ensure people received their medicines at the right time and for the right reason was not always available. Systems were not in place to ensure action was taken where records identified medicines may not have been given. Where risks to people’s health and welfare had been identified, information to minimise these risks was not available. The registered manager assessed how well the service was running to identify if any improvements were needed, however these systems had not identified concerns with how medicines and risks were managed. On this inspection we found improvements had been made and the service was now rated as Good.

Risks to people’s health and wellbeing were assessed and plans were in place to monitor how people were supported and to assist them in a safe manner. The staff understood how to protect people from harm and were confident that any concerns would be reported and investigated. Some people received assistance to take medicines and records were kept to ensure that this was done safely. There were safe recruitment procedures in place to ensure new staff were suitable to work with people.

Staff were trained to ensure that they had the skills to support people effectively. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible. People were able to make decisions about how they wanted to receive support to ensure their health needs were met. When people required assistance to eat and drink, the registered manager ensured that this was planned to meet their preferences and assessed need.

People had a small team of staff who provided their support and had caring relationships with them. Care was planned and reviewed with people to ensure their choices were followed. People’s privacy and dignity were respected and upheld by the staff.

People had care records that included information about how they wanted their care and this was reviewed to reflect any changing needs. There was a complaints procedure in place and any concern received were investigated and responded to in line with this policy.

People were asked for their feedback on the quality of the service and their contribution supported the development of the service. Quality assurance systems were in place to identify where improvements could be made and the registered manager worked with other organisations to share ideas and to develop the service. The manager promoted an open culture which put people at the heart of the service.