Wirral Mind

Updated 22 March 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.

The inspection took place on the 15 and 16 January 2018 and was announced. The registered provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service to people who are often out during the day and we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

The inspection was completed by one adult social care inspector.

Before the inspection, the registered provider completed 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 reviewed this information prior to the inspection taking place.

Before the inspection on the 11 January 2018 we contacted the local authority who did not raise any concerns about the service.

During the inspection we visited the office on the 15 January 2018 and we visited three of the four houses that people were cared and supported by the service on the 16 January 2018 and made observations relating to the interactions between people and staff. We spoke with five people who used the service and spoke to some of their relatives. We looked at three people’s care records. We spoke with four members of staff and the registered manager. We also looked at other records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 22 March 2018

This comprehensive inspection took place on the 15 and 16 January 2018 and was announced. During our last inspection we found a breach in relation to Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This was in relation to staff recruitment procedures. At this inspection we found that improvements have been made to meet the relevant requirements.

This service provides a domiciliary care service and provides care and support to eighteen people living in their own homes. The care and support is provided by Wirral Mind staff so that people are supported to live in their own homes as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate the premises where people lived; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

The service had a registered manager who had been in post since 2011.

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.

Care records and risk assessments were well-kept and up-to-date. Each person using the service had a personalised support plan and risk assessment. All records we saw were complete, up to date and regularly reviewed. We found that people and their relatives were involved in decisions about their care and support. There was an emergency continuity plan in all files looked at that would be used if for example the person was taken to hospital. The information was a summary of the care and support required and other relevant information. We also saw that medications were handled appropriately and safely.

We found that recruitment practices were in place which included the completion of pre-employment checks prior to a new member of staff working at the service and disciplinary procedures had been followed appropriately and in accordance with policies. Staff received a comprehensive induction programme, regular training and supervision to enable them to work safely and effectively.

People's GPs and other healthcare professionals were contacted for advice about people’s health needs whenever necessary. The provider had systems in place to ensure that people were protected from the risk of harm or abuse. We saw there were policies and procedures in place and training to guide staff in relation to safeguarding adults.

The service had quality assurance processes in place including audits, staff meetings and quality questionnaires. The services policies and procedures had been regularly reviewed by the provider and these included policies on health and safety, confidentiality, mental capacity, medication, whistle blowing, safeguarding and recruitment.

People told us they were happy with the staff and felt that the staff understood their support needs. The people and the relatives we spoke with had no complaints about the service. The provider had a complaints procedure in place and this was available in the ‘service user guide’.