Updated 17 November 2023
The inspection
We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.
Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.
Inspection team
The inspection was completed by 1 inspector and 2 Expert by Experiences. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
Registered Manager
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 5 days’ notice of our inspection. This was because we intended to use remote technology to undertake the assessment and needed to ensure the provider was able to facilitate this type of assessment. This included uploading documents into a secure portal and facilitating calls to people who used the service to enable them to speak with us. The provider also facilitated calls to relatives and staff.
Inspection activity started on 06 November 2023 and ended on 13 November 2023.
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. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 9 people who used the service and 6 relatives. We spoke with the registered manager who is also the nominated individual and we received feedback from 12 staff. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We assessed the care plans, associated records, and medicine administration record (MAR) charts for 3 people. Several governance records were also assessed including staff recruitment records for 2 staff, quality assurance audits, training and supervision records, policies, and procedures.
This inspection was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We used telephone calls and emails to enable us to engage with people using the service, their relatives, professionals, and staff, and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation. Inspection activity started on 06 November 2023 and concluded on 13 November 2023 when feedback was given to the registered manager who was also the nominated individual.