Archived: De Vere Care

Updated 24 January 2019

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 was 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 13 December 2018. This was an announced inspection, which meant the registered provider knew we would be visiting. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice. This was because it was a domiciliary care agency and we wanted to make sure that the registered manager, or someone who could act on their behalf, would be available to support us with our inspection. The inspection team consisted of one adult social care inspector and an expert by experience, who made telephone calls to people who used the service. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

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, such as what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. Before our inspection we reviewed information we held about the service. This included any concerns or notifications of incidents that the provider had sent us since the last inspection and previous inspection reports. We also spoke with commissioners to obtain their feedback about the service.

During the inspection, we spoke with the registered provider, the registered manager, a deputy manager, two senior staff and five care staff. We spoke with five people who used the service and eight relatives.

We looked at thirteen people’s care records and other records relating to the management of the service. This included ten staff recruitment records, training documents, rotas, accident and incident records, complaints, health and safety information, quality monitoring and medicine records.

Updated 24 January 2019

This comprehensive inspection took place on 13 December 2018 and was announced. This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older adults.

Not everyone using De Vere Care receives regulated activity; the 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 our inspection, 62 people were using the service, who received personal care. The provider employed 70 care staff, who visited people living in the local community.

We last inspected this service on 7 December 2017 and we rated the service as Requires Improvement. This was because we found concerns in all five key questions that we ask; is the service safe? Is the service effective? Is the service caring? Is the service responsive? Is the service well led? There were four breaches of Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. These were in relation to providing safe care and treatment, providing staff with training and support and receiving consent to care from people. Following the last inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show how they would make improvements. We also sent the provider a Warning Notice for the breach of regulation 17, good governance because the provider was failing to maintain the quality of the service and there was a lack of robust management. We asked for them to be compliant with legal requirements by April 2018.

At this announced inspection, we checked that they had followed their plan and to confirm that they now met legal requirements. During this inspection, the service demonstrated to us that improvements have been made and we have now rated the service Good.

The service had 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 care homes, 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.

Following our last inspection, the provider had made internal structural changes to help make the necessary improvements and carried out a review of processes. They had assessed and monitored the quality of the service to ensure people received safe care.

We saw that improvements had been made in ensuring people received care that was safe and that care was provided to people at the correct times. Care staff had enough time to travel in between care visits to people and the number of missed visits had reduced. Risks to people were assessed and monitored so that these risks were mitigated against.

The provider had sufficient numbers of staff available to provide care and support to people. Staff were recruited appropriately and the necessary pre-employment background checks were undertaken to ensure they were suitable for the role and were safe to provide care to people. Staff received support from the management team with regular supervision meetings to discuss any concerns or issues. They were sufficiently trained and we saw that their training was now up to date. This meant the care and support they provided to people was effective.

When required, staff administered people’s medicines and recorded medicines that they administered on people's Medicine Administration Records (MAR). They had received training on how to do this. Staff had received training in infection control and followed procedures when providing personal care.

The provider was now compliant with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Assessments were carried out for people who did not have capacity to make decisions, using MCA principles.

Staff told us that they received support and encouragement from the new management team and told us they had made improvements to the service. Staff were able to raise any concerns and were confident that they would be addressed by the management team.

The management team carried out regular spot checks on staff providing care in people’s homes to ensure they followed the correct procedures and people always received safe care. Senior managers took action where necessary to improve staff performance.

The registered manager reviewed serious incidents to reduce reoccurrence of similar incidents in future.

People's care and support needs were assessed and reviewed regularly.

People were registered with health care professionals, such as GPs and staff contacted them in emergencies or if there were concerns about people's health.

Staff provided people with meals and drinks when they requested to maintain their health and nutrition.

People were treated with respect by staff and their privacy and dignity were maintained. They were listened to by staff and were involved in making decisions about their care and support.

Care plans were person centred. They provided staff with suitable and relevant information about each person’s individual preferences in order to obtain positive outcomes for each person. People's care and support needs were assessed and reviewed regularly.

A complaints procedure was in place. People and their relatives knew how to complain and give feedback about their care. Formal complaints about the service were responded to appropriately and within the provider’s timescales as set out in their complaints procedures.

The registered manager completed audits and inspections of the service to maintain quality standards and to ensure people were safe at all times.

Feedback was received from people and relatives to check they were satisfied with the service and to help make improvements.