Home Instead Bolton

Updated 16 October 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

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

The service had a manager 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.

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was to ensure that the registered manager would be available to facilitate the inspection. The inspection took place on 05 June 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 quality team and the local authority safeguarding team and Healthwatch Bolton. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. Although clients supported from Home Instead were mainly privately funded the local authority had a duty of care to intervene if needed. No concerns were raised about this 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 this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three clients who used service and three relatives, 11 CareGivers, the registered manager, both directors and the training officer and the office staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four care files, for staff files in relation to recruitment and supervision records. We looked at a range of policies and procedures, the staff induction and staff training.

Updated 16 October 2019

About the service

Home Instead Bolton is a domiciliary care service providing personal care, support and companionship enabling people to remain in their own homes. At the time of the inspection there were 50 people receiving support from the 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

The service placed people at the heart of the service and its values. It had a strong person-centred and local community-based ethos. The management and CareGivers were passionate about providing a high standard of person-centred care to clients when they needed it. Clients and relatives spoken with were eager to tell us how good the service was and how the CareGivers had become firm friends. They were complimentary about the reliability, kindness and flexibility of CareGivers and office staff. The registered manager told us that the service went out their way to accommodate clients wishes.

Client’s needs, preferences and wishes were met by a dedicated team who went out their way to get to know the clients well. This was done through initial meetings, matching clients and CareGivers and regular reviews.

The service was good at helping people to achieve positive outcomes and goals and helping clients to remain independent and allowing them to stay in their own homes for as long as possible. Clients were supported to maintain their interest and hobbies and to experience new pastimes.

Staff were safely recruited, well trained in both mandatory and specialist training as required. All staff spoken with were aware of how to report any concerns of abuse and were confident that these would be addressed by the registered manager. Staff felt supported by the registered manager and senior management. Staff felt listened to and felt very much involved in the organisation.

Clients were supported safely, and risk assessments about their care and support were assessed, met and regularly reviewed. Some clients were supported with their medication. Audits and checks were in place to show that medicines had been administered safely and as prescribed.

Clients and their relatives confirmed that all CareGivers treated them with respect for their dignity and privacy. The open, inclusive and supportive nature of the service meant that promoting equality and diversity and respecting people’s human rights ran throughout the whole of the service.

The service provided and supported clients with individual and community activities. Some clients had CareGivers who offered just companionship and spent time chatting and watching television together.

Clients care, and support plans were comprehensive and were followed in practice. Clients confirmed that CareGivers did what they were supposed do and often went above and beyond their daily tasks.

The leadership and the registered manager was dedicated to providing support and care to a high standard.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at the last inspection

The rating at the last inspection was Good (Published 14 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 as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.