Halifax Care at Home Service

Updated 22 September 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check 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 took place on 15 August 2018 and was announced. We gave the provider short notice of our inspection so we could be sure staff and people who used the service would be available to speak with us. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we had received about the service and statutory notifications the service had submitted. We also contacted the local authority commissioning and safeguarding teams.

We did not ask the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) before this inspection. 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 spoke with four people who used the service, two care staff, the activity co-ordinator, the chef, the registered manager, the quality manager and the head of care services manager.

We looked at three people's care records, one staff recruitment file, medicine records and the training matrix as well as records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 22 September 2018

This inspection took place on 15 August 2018 and was announced. We gave the provider short notice of the inspection to ensure staff and people who used the service would be available to speak with us.

Halifax Care at Home Service provides 24 hour care and support to people living in a ‘supported living’ setting at Ing Royde in Halifax. This allows people to live in their own home as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support. When we inspected 13 people were receiving personal care.

At our previous inspection in August 2017 we rated the service as ‘Requires Improvement’. We identified one regulatory breach [Regulation 17] which related to good governance specifically the medicine records. This inspection was to check improvements had been made and to review the ratings.

The home had a registered manager who commenced in post in February 2017. 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 told us they received their medicines when they needed them. We found improvements had been made to the medicine records which were well completed. Medicine audits were more thorough and effective in identify and addressing issues.

People told us they felt safe with the staff who provided support. There were systems in place to protect people from the risk of harm. Staff we spoke with were able to explain the procedures to follow should an allegation of abuse be made. Assessments identified risks to people and management plans to reduce the risks were in place to ensure people's safety. There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people’s needs and provide a flexible service.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible.

People were very happy with the support and care they received. They spoke highly of the staff who they said treated them with respect and maintained their dignity. People spoke positively about the range of activities and events they could access at Ing Royde. Care records were accurate and reflected people’s needs, providing staff with an overview.

People’s nutritional needs were meet and they had access to healthcare professionals as and when needed. People received end of life care that was tailored to meet their wishes and preferences.

Staff received an induction, supervision and training. People felt staff were well trained and knew what they were doing. Robust recruitment procedures ensured staff were suitable to work in a care setting.

People we spoke with raised no concerns but knew the processes to follow if they had any complaints and were confident these would be dealt with.

People and staff praised the way the service was run. We saw systems were in place to monitor the quality of service delivery. The registered manager promoted a positive and inclusive ethos which focused on looking at ways in which the service could be improved for people.