Home Instead Senior Care

Updated 25 December 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 2 December 2017 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

The inspection was completed by one adult social care inspector and one expert by experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. Their role was to ask people and their representatives their views about the service, which they did by telephone.

Before our inspection, we reviewed the information we held about the service. We reviewed any notifications of incidents that the provider had sent us since their registration. A notification is information about important events, which the service is required to send us by law. We had not asked the provider to provide information specifically toward this inspection.

During our inspection, we spoke with six people’s family representatives and one person using the service. We spoke with four of the five staff, the registered manager and provider. We looked at two records, which related to people’s individual care needs. We viewed two staff records, and records associated with the management of the service. We looked at letters of compliment about the service.

Updated 25 December 2018

The inspection took place on 3 December 2018. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

This service is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care and domestic support to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to older adults. This inspection only looked at how people’s personal care and support were being provided. At the time of the inspection there were eight people using the service receiving personal care.

Home Instead was registered as a new service on 4 December 2017. This was the first inspection of the service. There was a registered manager, registered on 14 December 2017. 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 said they felt safe using Home Instead. They were protected through the safe recruitment of staff and a consistent staff team, which were able to provide care and support at the person’s own pace and the times they chose.

Staff had a good understanding of how to protect people from abuse and discrimination. They were aware that any concerns could be taken to the registered manager and the local authority safeguarding adults’ team.

Individual risks were understood and managed. Each person had in-depth risk assessments in place and where necessary, a care plan describing how to mitigate the risk.

Staff used hygienic practice when providing personal care, which reduced the possibility of cross contamination.

People were prompted to take their medicines as prescribed. All staff received training in the safe handling of medicines.

There were arrangements in place to ensure people’s safety should there be an emergency, such as poor weather.

Staff were trained and supported to be skilled and competent. Their competence was under regular review.

People’s legal rights were upheld. Staff understood that people must be offered choice and must consent to the care they received.

People were supported to eat and drink to maintain their health. Any health concern was effectively followed up.

Staff were considered to be kind and respectful. People’s privacy, dignity, and independence was promoted.

People had an in-depth assessment of their needs and wishes. Care plans were detailed, complete and enabled staff to understand important aspects of the person they were caring for.

People views were sought and they were confident that any complaint would be dealt with effectively.

The registered manager and provider were committed to people’s care and welfare. Their service put the person at the heart of the care provided and the quality of the service was closely monitored. Staff said they were proud to work for Home Instead.