Forest Gate

Updated 7 June 2022

The inspection

We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.

Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.

Inspection team

One inspector carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission who is also the provider. This means that they are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. Inspection activity started on 15 December 2021 and ended on 17 January 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We used technology such as phone calls to enable us to engage with people using the service and staff, video calls to engage with the registered manager and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation.

We had discussions with the registered manager by video call on 15, 20 and 22 December 2021 with a final follow up call on 17 January 2022.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We contacted by phone and email one person, one representative of a person using the service and two care staff.

Updated 7 June 2022

About the Service

Forest Gate is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to adults. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of this inspection, one person was receiving a personal care service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

We undertook this inspection at the same time as CQC inspected a range of urgent and emergency care services in North East London. To understand the experience of social care providers and people who use social care services, we asked a range of questions in relation to accessing urgent and emergency care. The responses we received have been used to inform and support system wide feedback.

People using the service had risk assessments carried out to protect them from the risks of avoidable harm. Staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures. Medicines were managed safely and people were protected from the risks associated with the spread of infection. The provider had a system in place to learn lessons from accidents and incidents.

Staff were supported in their role with training and supervision. People’s care needs were assessed before they began to use the service. Staff supported people with their nutritional, hydration and healthcare needs.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff demonstrated they knew people and their care needs well. People and their representative told us staff were caring. The provider and staff understood how to provide a fair and equal service. People were involved in their care planning and were encouraged to make choices. Staff understood how to maintain people’s privacy, dignity and independence.

Care plans were detailed and personalised. Staff understood how to provide a personalised care service. The provider understood how to meet people’s communication needs. People were supported to maintain contact with family and friends. There was a system in place for people to make a complaint.

People, their representative and staff spoke positively about the leadership in the service. The provider had a system to check the quality of the service provided and to identify areas for improvement. There was a system to obtain feedback from people using the service and staff. The provider worked jointly with other agencies to achieve good outcomes for people.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 17/04/2018 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned comprehensive inspection based on the service no longer being dormant after becoming active in May 2020.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.