Archived: Lifecarers (Bracknell, Crowthorne & Sandhurst)

At the time of the inspection there was a registered manager in post. 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.

People told us they were happy with the service they received from Bright Yellow Bracknell (LifeCarers) and felt safe using the service. There were systems in place to manage risks to people and staff. Staff had good awareness of how to keep people safe and understood the policies and procedures used to safeguard people. Information and guidance was available for them to use if they had any concerns.

Recruitment procedures were robust and staff received training to ensure they had the skills to care for people safely and effectively. People received their medicines when they required them and there was a system to manage medicines safely. Staff had a good knowledge of how to deal with emergencies and the provider had plans in place to deal with emergency situations.

People’s right to make decisions was protected. Staff understood their responsibilities in relation to gaining consent before providing support and care. People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect and told us they were involved in decisions about their care. They said their decisions were respected and they felt they had been listened to. People’s care and support needs were reviewed regularly with them.

Up to date information was communicated to staff quickly to ensure they could provide appropriate care for people. Staff contacted healthcare professionals to seek advice regarding people’s well-being when necessary. People’s nutrition was monitored when appropriate to help ensure they had sufficient to eat and drink.

There was an open culture in the service and staff were comfortable to approach the registered manager for advice and guidance. They told us they were well supported and said they were listened to if they raised concerns. Action was taken promptly to manage any concerns raised.

The quality of the service was monitored by the registered manager through gaining regular feedback from people using the service and auditing. People and staff had been asked for their views on the service and they had been used to make improvements.

Care was planned with the involvement of the people who use the service and their relatives, and reflected their individual needs. People who use the service told us they were involved in discussions about any changes to their care. We found people were provided with appropriate care to meet their needs.

A system of staff supervision and appraisal was in place to support workers. Staff received appropriate training and professional development to enable them to deliver care and treatment to people safely and to an appropriate standard.

There were systems for monitoring the quality and safety of services provided to people. These included recording and investigating complaints, collecting feedback from people using the service, their relatives and staff. Spot checks by management were in place to monitor the quality and safety of services provided to people in their own homes.

People's records and other records relevant to the management of the service were accurate and fit for purpose. People's care documentation was stored securely in the office and accessible only by care workers and management.

We spoke to staff and looked at peoples care plans and found that their needs were assessed. Care and support was planned and delivered to meet their individual needs.

People who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening. People told us they trusted the staff and felt safe in their care.

People said they felt comfortable raising concerns. They were confident that any concerns raised would be effectively dealt with by the provider.

There were effective recruitment and selection processes in place to ensure that people using the service were cared for by suitably experienced and qualified staff.

The provider carried out regular surveys to monitor the quality of care provided to people who used the service. Documentation we looked at showed feedback from users of the service and other stakeholders was acted upon to improve the service.