Home Instead Senior Care

Updated 18 October 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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 inspection was unannounced and took place on the 7 and 8 of September 2017. The inspection was carried out by one inspector and an expert 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.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection, we visited the agency’s office and spoke with the company owner, seven members of staff, four people and five relatives.

We looked at six people’s care records and six staff records. We inspected information relating to the management of the service such as health and safety records, personnel and recruitment records, quality monitoring audits and complaints. Healthcare professionals and local commissioners were approached for comments about the service and their feedback has been included in the report.

Updated 18 October 2017

Home Instead Senior Care offers personal care and support to people in their own homes. In addition to providing personal care, Home Instead Senior Care also provides a companionship service which supports people with activities and help with domestic duties. This element of the service, although provided by Home Instead Senior Care would not need to be registered with the Commission if this was their sole purpose.

We focussed our inspection on the people in receipt of personal care only. On the day of our inspection there were 54 people using the service, 36 of which received personal care.

There is a registered manager at this location. 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.

The registered manager obtained people’s views about the service they received. Audits were used to review the effectiveness of the service and covered most of the key aspects of service delivery. We have made a recommendation about this.

Staff were given an induction when they started work at the service and had access to a range of training to provide them with the level of skills and knowledge to deliver care efficiently and were supported to completed higher-level qualifications.

Care plans were person centred and detailed. People were involved with care planning and staff knew people well and were aware of their personal histories. Positive relationships had developed between people and the staff that supported them.

Relevant recruitment checks had been carried out before people started work. Systems and processes were in place to ensure there were sufficient numbers of staff employed to meet people's needs.

The registered manager and staff understood their responsibilities in terms of safeguarding people from abuse and managing risk. People were supported with their medicines by staff that were trained and assessed as competent to give medicines safely.

People's consent was gained before care was provided and the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were met. People were supported to consume food and drink of their choice and staff worked well with people and health care professionals, to ensure people maximised their health and wellbeing.

Information included guidance for staff so they could follow a structured approach to recognise and manage people’ health conditions and behaviour.

People had positive relationships with their care workers and were confident in the service. There was a strong value base to ensure workers were caring and compassionate. People who used the service felt they were treated with kindness and said their privacy and dignity was respected.