Archived: Care Direct & Support Solutions (Luton) Office

Updated 28 January 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.

Inspection team

One inspector carried out this inspection.

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.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. Inspection activity started on 02 January 2020 when we visited the site office and ended on 06 January 2020 when we finished speaking with people.

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 and professionals who work with the 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 of this information to plan our inspection. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with one person who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff including the registered manager, senior care workers and care workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection –

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at quality assurance records. We spoke with two professionals who regularly visit the service.

Updated 28 January 2020

About the service

Care Direct & Support Solutions (Luton) Office is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to seven people at the time of the inspection. 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

People told us they felt safe and were well supported by staff. People were safe as staff had received training in safeguarding adults and had a good understanding of the types and symptoms of abuse. Staff knew how to report concerns and were confident to do so.

People received their medicines on time and correctly. Staff worked with the local health professionals and pharmacies to ensure people had the right medicine and health support at the right times.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act and how to support people to make decisions or report concerns of capacity where people's abilities had changed.

Staff supported people to have enough to eat and drink and to access a range of health professionals as they required it.

People told us staff were kind and caring and never rushed them. Staff supported people to review their care needs regularly involving their relatives and health professionals as requested. People were supported to receive care that was in line with their preferred methods and needs, taking into account their abilities and cultural sensitivities.

Staff responded to complaints quickly and effectively and people told us complaints were resolved and the same issues did not reoccur.

Staff encouraged people to give feedback on the service and suggest ideas for improvements. The manager had created an open, person centred culture and a clear vision of high-quality personalised care that was shared by the staff team and experienced by people receiving care.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (3 August 2017).

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 to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.