Archived: Interserve Healthcare Birmingham

Updated 7 September 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 was a comprehensive inspection which looked at all five key areas.

This inspection took place on 20 July 2017 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in to meet with us. The inspection team consisted of 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. Their area of expertise was around receiving personal care within their own home.

As part of planning the inspection we reviewed any information we held about the service. We also checked if the provider had sent us any notifications. These contain details of events and incidents the provider is required to notify us about by law, including unexpected deaths and injuries occurring to people receiving care. We asked the provider to complete 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.

We considered feedback provided to us by commissioners of the service and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. This was received within the necessary timescale. We used this information to plan what areas we were going to focus on during our inspection visit.

During our inspection visit we spoke with ten people who used the service and the relatives of two other people. We also spoke the registered manager and two members of senior staff within the office. We met and talked with two members of the staff team. After the inspection we spoke on the telephone to the lead clinical nurse and also the nurse based within the service.

We reviewed records including three people's care plans, staffing records, complaints, medication and quality monitoring.

Updated 7 September 2017

Interserve Healthcare Birmingham provides personal care to adults and children in their homes. It also provides renal technicians to service the dialysis machines people use within their own homes. Many of the people who used the service had multiple, complex health needs. At the time of our inspection there were 8 people receiving personal care 4 of whom were children. The service also supported 32 people with renal technicians within the community.

At the last inspection in January 2016, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection on 20 July 2017 we found the service remained Good.

People received safe care from staff at Interserve. Staff demonstrated that they were aware of the action to take should they suspect that someone was being abused. Staff knew the risks associated with people's specific conditions and the actions required when people were at risk of harming themselves or others.

There were enough staff to meet people's care and support needs promptly. People received their medicines when they needed them.

People were supported by staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible.

People were supported to make use of the services of a variety of mental and physical health professionals. People told us that staff were caring. People were supported by regular staff who spoke fondly about the people they supported.

Staff promoted people's independence and respected their privacy. People's care and support was planned with them so their care plans reflected their views and wishes. People told us that staff and the registered manager were approachable and would take action if they were not happy or had a complaint.

People and their relatives felt the service was well run. The registered manager was aware of their responsibilities to CQC the Commission. Staff enjoyed working at the service and felt valued team members. People had the opportunity to influence and develop the service they received. The provider and registered manager made checks to help ensure that good standards of care were maintained.