HICA Homecare - Chorley

Updated 27 November 2020

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.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

The inspection team

This inspection was completed by one inspector and telephone calls to tenants and relatives were completed by two Experts 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.

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

Notice of inspection

We gave a short period of notice of the inspection to ensure it was safe for us to visit during the current Covid 19 pandemic.

Inspection activity started on 11 November 2020, we visited the office location on this date and completed our inspection the same day.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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 of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 19 people who were supported by the service and their relatives. We spoke with seven members of staff including; the registered manager, care staff and area manager. We reviewed a range of records which included; the care records for three people, medicine records, risk assessments in relation to the Covid 19 pandemic, recruitment records for three staff. We also reviewed a range of records relating to the management of the service including policies and procedures and governance records.

Updated 27 November 2020

HICA Homecare Chorley is a domiciliary care agency registered to provide personal care for people in their own homes. The agency provides care and support services as the preferred provider for the Buckshaw Retirement Village in Chorley and Heyswood in St Helens. At the time of inspection 87 people were in receipt of a regulated activity.

Not everyone using HICA Homecare receives a 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.

People's experience of using this service and what we found.

People received safe care and were protected from avoidable harm by staff who had received training in safeguarding.

Care records included detailed information which helped staff support people to manage the risks. People we spoke with and their relatives hi-lighted how well protected they felt during the current pandemic. People told us staff used personal protective equipment at all times.

People were supported to take their medicines as prescribed. Some improvements in training and the management oversight of medicine records had led to improved practice. All medicine errors had been investigated and responded to fully which helped avoid the risk of reoccurrence.

The management team provided effective leadership and oversight of the service. Regular auditing of care records and spot checks on care practice helped to ensure people received good quality care which achieved good outcomes.

People living in the service and their relatives had been consulted with regularly to ensure their views were recognised and responded to. One example had been trying to ensure more consistent staffing to minimise the number of different staff visiting.

During the recent pandemic, more frequent consultations had taken place on a smaller scale. People had been supported to have visitors following government policy in relation to 'support bubbles'.

Staff felt committed to supporting people and felt valued by the management team.

The registered manager continued to work in close partnership with other agencies. Alternate ways of meeting and consulting with health professionals had been established.

Rating at the last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 13 February 2018)

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to the management of medicines, complaints and governance. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of Safe and Well Led only. We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.