Smartway Health and Social Care Limited

Updated 13 March 2024

The assessment began on 25 March 2024 and was concluded on 19 April 2024. Smartway is a care at home service which provides personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 61 people receiving a regulated activity at the service. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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. We received concerns about the service and, as a result of this information a decision to assess the service was made. We looked at 11 quality statements; Safeguarding; Involving people to manage risks; Safe and effective staffing; Learning Culture; Medicines optimisation; Independence, choice and control; Equity in experiences and outcomes; Shared direction and culture; Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders; Learning, improvement and innovation and Governance, management and sustainability. At this assessment we found improvements were needed and 3 breaches of regulation in relation to the staff recruitment, staffing levels and the systems of oversight to ensure the quality of the service.

Updated 13 March 2024

People views of the service were mixed. Most people spoke highly of some staff supporting them and less favourably of other staff members. Some people raised concerns about staff knowledge and competency. One person told us, “My regular 3 carers are trained properly, but I think the majority of staff need more training. Especially with the hoist, they seem to struggle.” One person’s relative commented, “I don’t think the staff are well trained. I do [Family members] medicines I don’t trust them [care staff] to do that.” Some positive comments from people’s relatives included, “‘Absolutely for the level of care/support they provide. The carers make sure [Family members] is clean; medicines and meals are prepared” and “They [care workers] appear to have the right knowledge and skills. They do what is needed. If mum is not too well, they let me know or they go direct through their office and let me know.” Staff attending calls on time and staying the allocated time was a theme consistently raised with us. Some people’s relatives commented, “Sometimes I do feel staff are skimping on the job, breakfast is a 45 minute call, I accept it may take 30 minutes, but one pair were in and out 20 minutes recently” and “They [care workers] rush from what I can see.”