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Support Me at Home

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

8-9 St. Nicholas Court, Vicarage Street, North Walsham, NR28 9BY (01692) 531241

Provided and run by:
Support Me At Home Limited

Important: This service was previously registered at a different address - see old profile

Latest inspection summary

On this page

Background to this inspection

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.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 17 November 2023

About the service

Support Me at Home is a service that offers support and care to younger adults and older people who may be living with dementia, a mental health issue, a physical disability, or a sensory impairment. At the time of our inspection there were 49 people using the service however only 25 were receiving support with personal care in their own homes. 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 received a service that was consistently person-centred, caring, responsive and that achieved positive outcomes for them. People told us they received kind and compassionate care from the same small staff group, who arrived on time, and met their needs in an individualised manner. The records we viewed confirmed this. We saw that 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.

People were consulted in all aspects of their care, and they told us they felt listened to and engaged. Their care needs were regularly reviewed, and care and support adjusted to meet any changing requirements. Care was delivered by staff who had been safely recruited and inducted, and who received ongoing training and support that they told us made them feel valued. A nurturing culture was in place that achieved positive outcomes for the people who used the service.

A robust governance system was in place that had been effective at ensuring a consistently good quality service was delivered. Staff and managers understood their responsibilities and accountability was in place. The service regularly sought people’s feedback on the care they received, and this was listened to, and responded to. People told us communication was good and any issues or concerns were managed promptly and appropriately.

People consistently told us they would recommend the service due to the good quality care they received and the professionalism of the management team and their staff. People knew who would be supporting them, and when, and that their needs would be met by friendly and approachable staff they had confidence in. People told us their lives had been enhanced by the service especially around the ability to remain independent and to live in their own homes.

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 (report published 15 August 2018).

Why we inspected

We inspected this service due to the length of time since the last inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.