Archived: Care Direct & Support Solutions (Luton) Office

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.

The inspection took place on 22, 27 and 28 June 2017 and was announced. It was the first inspection of this service, since it registered with the Care Quality Commission on 29 April 2016.

A registered manager was in post. 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.

People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Staff had been trained to recognise signs of potential abuse and were confident about reporting any concerns they might have, and risks associated with people’s care were managed positively.

There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs, and people received their care when they needed it. Robust checks were carried out for new staff, to make sure they were suitable to work at the service.

Systems were in place to ensure medicines were managed in a safe way and that people received their medicines as prescribed.

Staff had the right skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs. They had received training to carry out their roles, including support to meet the individual needs of people using the service.

Staff sought peoples’ consent before offering care and support, and involved them in making decisions about their mental capacity.

Where responsible, staff supported people to have enough to eat and drink.

Staff were clear about the importance of monitoring people’s health needs and seeking additional support and advice as required.

Staff provided care and support in a caring and meaningful way. They treated people with kindness and compassion, and respected their privacy and dignity at all times.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. They were given opportunities to express their views on the service they received, and to be actively involved in making decisions about their care and support.

A complaints procedure had been developed to let people know how to raise concerns about the service if they needed to. People were confident in raising concerns if they needed to do so.

The registered manager provided effective leadership at the service, and promoted a positive culture that was open and transparent. Everyone felt the registered manager was approachable and helpful.

Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service provided, and to drive continuous improvement.