Archived: UK Care Team Ltd

Updated 16 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 checked 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 comprehensive inspection took place on 29 and 30 January 2018 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours' notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be available.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Prior to the inspection the 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 the information sent to us in the PIR and notifications we had received from the provider. Notifications are for certain changes, events and incidents affecting the service or the people who use it that providers are required to notify us about.

During the inspection, we spoke with the manager and a director of the service. We also looked at records, including four people’s care plans, three staff records, medicine administration records and records relating to the management of the service. We spoke with the relatives of two people using the service. We sent emails for feedback to six care workers and received comments from two care workers.

Updated 16 March 2018

We undertook an announced comprehensive inspection of UK Care Team Ltd on 29 and 30 January 2018. We gave the provider two working days’ notice as the location provided a service to people in their own homes and we needed to confirm a manager would be available when we inspected.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes in the London Borough of Ealing. It provides a service to both younger and older adults. Not everyone using UK Care Team Ltd receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection there were seven people receiving support from the service of which six received support with personal care

At the time of the inspection the manager was in the process of applying to the Care Quality Commission to become the registered manager for 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..

The provider had a process in relation to the administration of medicines but information indicated people did not always receive their medicines as prescribed.

Risk assessments were now in place to assess general risks but risk management plans were not in place for specific risk to provide care workers with appropriate guidance to minimise risks.

The provider had a process in place in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 but was not always working within the principles of the Act to ensure people could consent to their care or that decisions were made in their best interests.

Care plans did not always provide accurate and consistent information for care workers as to how they should provide support to meet people’s care needs.

The provider had a range of quality assurance processes to monitor the service and identify areas for improvement but some of these were not effective.

We found breaches of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. There were breaches of Regulation 9 (person-centred care), Regulation 11 (need for consent), Regulation 12 (safe care and treatment), and Regulation 17 (Good governance). You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.

The provider had a robust recruitment process to ensure new staff had the appropriate skills and knowledge and were suitable to work within the service.

The provider had systems for the recording and investigation of incidents and accidents, complaints and safeguarding concerns to identify any trends or required actions.

Care workers had completed the mandatory training identified by the provider as well as regular supervision and appraisal meetings.

Relatives were happy with the support provided and felt the care workers were kind, caring and treated their family members with respect.

The provider had a complaints process in place and people knew what to do if they wished to raise any concerns.