Unique Homecare Services Ltd

Unique Homecare Services Ltd is a domiciliary care agency, based in Garstang, Lancashire. It provides personal care to people in their own homes in Garstang and the surrounding area.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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. At the time of this inspection 50 people were receiving personal care.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Some aspects of staff recruitment were not completely effective at ensuring staff members were always suitable to work with vulnerable people. Some safety checks had not been made. We have made a recommendation about this that can be seen in the 'safe' section of this report.

People received compassionate care from committed and caring staff. People achieved good outcomes as a result of the care they received. Their support and care needs were met.

Staff supported people in person-centred ways to identify their goals and wishes. Although care planning documentation required some improvement to ensure it was completely relevant to people, staff had access to other information that was centred around the person they were supporting.

People and their relatives told us they felt safe as a result of the care they received from staff. Risks had been managed in a positive way to support people to maintain independence and control. Staff had a good understanding of people’s needs and wishes.

The registered manager, office staff and care staff were kind, caring and respectful. People praised how kind and caring they were. People praised the approachability of the registered manager, staff at the office and care staff and could not fault the service.

The provider had invested in the use of a digital care planning system. This was supplemented by hand-held devices staff used to obtain up to date information about people. Relatives said staff were particularly proactive and raised concerns about their loved ones quickly so that issues could be addressed in a timely way. Senior staff appropriately supervised staff and checks were in place to ensure the care and support provided was safe and met the needs of people.

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. They and their relatives, had been consulted about care and support needs. These needs were assessed before they started using the service.

The registered manager and staff supported people to have access to healthcare professionals and specialist support and the service worked with external specialists. Professional's views on the service were positive.

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 (published 30 December 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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.

Unique Homecare Services Limited is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care support to people living with dementia. It supports people with companionship, reablement, respite and end of life care, all whom live in their own homes. The agency is situated in Bolton-Le-Sands near Carnforth. At the time of our inspection there were 22 people receiving a service from Unique Homecare Services Limited.

Unique Homecare Services Limited registered as a domiciliary care agency with the Care Quality Commission in November 2016. We had not previously inspected the service.

The service had a registered manager in place. 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.

During this inspection, we found staff had received training to safeguard people from abuse. They understood their responsibilities to report any unsafe care or abusive practices related to the safeguarding of adults who may be vulnerable. Staff we spoke with told us they were aware of the safeguarding procedure. One staff member told us, “One of my priorities is making sure people are safe. I want to know I've done everything I can do and I’ve delivered care that’s safe.”

There was an appropriate skill mix of staff to ensure the needs of people who used the service were met. New staff worked alongside experienced staff members whilst they learnt their role. One relative told us, “They [care staff] know what they’re doing, use their common sense and initiative, and do things off their own back.”

The registered provider planned visits to allow carers enough time to reach people and complete all tasks safely. One person’s friend told us, “Ten out of ten for punctuality.”

Care plans were organised and had identified the care and support people required. We found they were personalised and informative about the care people received. They had been kept under review and updated when necessary. They reflected any risks and people’s changing needs.

Staff responsible for assisting people with their medicines had received training to ensure they were competent and had the skills required. The registered provider completed spot checks on staff to observe their work practices were appropriate and people were safe.

Staff were provided with personal protective equipment to protect people and themselves from the spread of infection.

The registered provider had put in place procedures around recruitment and selection to minimise the risk of unsuitable employees working with people who may be vulnerable. Required checks had been completed before any staff started work at the service. This was confirmed during discussions with staff.

The registered provider had regularly completed a range of audits to maintain people’s safety and welfare.

Staff members received training related to their role and were knowledgeable about their responsibilities. They had the skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their personal care and emotional support needs.

Staff told us they received regular formal and informal support from the management team. A staff member said, “I have regular supervision but also have contact with the office and can drop in anytime.”

People and their representatives told us they were involved in their care and had discussed and consented to their care packages. We found staff had an understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

When appropriate, meals and drinks were prepared for people. This ensured people received adequate nutrition and hydration.

Care records contained information about the individual’s ongoing care and rehabilitation requirements. This showed the registered provider worked with other health care services to meet people’s health needs.

People said they had a team of regular carers with whom they and had built up good relationships. For example, one relative told us, “They are very good. The regular one at night, they are really lovely, always chatty and pleasant, always polite. I can relax as I know [relatives] are properly cared for.”

Staff we spoke with understood the support needs of people they visited. They knew how individuals wanted their care to be delivered. One person told us, “[Member of management team] did a brilliant job of drawing up the care plan. She and [registered manager] are prepared to listen and learn, it was very detailed and covers all my needs.”

A complaints procedure was available and people we spoke with said they knew how to complain. At the time of our inspection, the registered provider had received no formal complaints.

The registered manager had sought feedback from people receiving support and staff for input on how the service could continually improve.

The service demonstrated good management and leadership with clear lines of responsibility and accountability within the management team.

There was recorded evidence that showed the registered provider worked in partnership with other agencies to provide safe care and treatment.