We carried out a review of the data available to us about LifeCome Care, London on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about LifeCome Care, London, you can give feedback on this service.
LifeCome Care, London is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to older people in their own homes, mainly in the London Borough of Lambeth. At the time of the inspection, there were 60 people using the service who were receiving help with personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People and their relatives told us that LifeCome Care, London was a good service that was managed well. They told us they felt safe in the presence of care workers.
The provider had acted on our recommendations from the previous inspection and had introduced an electronic call monitoring system, this had helped to improve care worker visit times. Office staff monitored care worker visit times regularly. There were enough staff employed to meet people’s needs.
People were supported by trained staff who administered their medicines correctly. Staff followed up to date infection control guidelines when supporting people.
The service was well-led. The provider submitted notifications to the CQC as required and was aware of their regulatory responsibilities.
People. Relatives and staff felt comfortable approaching the management team if they had anything to discuss and the provider took action when needed.
There were systems in place to gather feedback, through telephone monitoring and annual surveys. Governance systems effectively assessed and reviewed the quality of care provided.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published 20 March 2019). The overall rating for the service remains good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding.
We did not inspect the key questions of effective, caring and responsive. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for LifeCome Care, London on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.
LifeCome Care, London is a home care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes in the London Borough of Lambeth. It provides a service to mainly older people living with dementia and/or who are physically disabled and some younger adults with a learning disability or mental health needs.
It also provides a six-week reablement service to people discharged from hospital to support their post-hospitalisation resettlement at home.
At the time of our inspection 35 people aged 40 and over received personal care either as part of their long-term home care service or a temporary six-week reablement service from this agency.
Seven people LifeCome Care, London also supported at home did not receive a regulated activity from them. The Care Quality Commission (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 consider any wider social care provided.
People’s experience of using this service:
People receiving a home care service from this newly registered agency usually received good outcomes and therefore we have rated them ‘Good’ overall and for four out of five key questions, ‘Is the service effective, caring, responsive and well-led?’
However, we have rated them Requires Improvement for the one key question, ‘Is the service safe?’ because we received mixed feedback from people about staff punctuality and continuity.
We discussed these issues with the registered manager who told us they were in the process of introducing a new centralised electronic system that would allow the newly recruited deputy manager to closely monitor staff punctuality, length of their visit and staff continuity.
Progress made by the provider to achieve these stated aims will be assessed at their next inspection.
• The issues described above notwithstanding, people told us they were happy with the overall standard of care and support they received from this new agency.
• People received a home care service from staff who were in the main suitably trained and supported to meet their personal care needs.
• People were protected from avoidable harm, discrimination and abuse.
• Risks to people had been assessed and was regularly reviewed to ensure people’s needs were safely met.
• Appropriate recruitment checks took place before staff started working for the service.
• The agency had procedures in place to reduce the risk of the spread of infection.
• Accidents and incidents were analysed for lessons learnt and these were shared with the staff team to reduce further reoccurrence.
• Where people needed assistance with taking their prescribed medicines this was monitored and safely managed in line with best practice guidance.
• Staff routinely sought the consent of the people they supported.
• Managers and staff were knowledgeable about and adhered to the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
• People were supported to maintain a balanced diet where staff were reasonable for this.
• People received the support they needed to stay healthy and to access health care services as and when required.
• People received support from staff who were kind and compassionate.
• Staff treated people they supported with dignity and respect.
• Staff ensured people's privacy was always maintained particularly when they supported people with their personal care needs.
• People were supported to do as much as they could and wanted to do for themselves to retain control and independence over their lives.
• People needs and wishes were assessed and planned for.
• People, and where appropriate their relatives and professional representatives, were involved in discussions and decisions about how the home care service they would receive from this agency.
• People’s care plans were personalised and routinely reviewed to ensure they remained up to date.
• People's concerns and complaints were dealt with by the provider in an appropriate and timely way.
• No one receiving a home care service required support with end of life care, however there were procedures in place to make sure people had access to this type of care if it was required.
• The provider had effective systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the home care service people received.
• The service was well-led and management support was always available for staff when they needed it.
• There was an open and transparent and person-centred culture.
• People, their relatives, professional healthy and social care representatives and staff were all asked to share their feedback about the service action was taken in response.
• The provider worked in partnership with other health and social care professional and agencies to plan and deliver an effective home care service.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at the last inspection:
This service was newly registered with the CQC in February 2018 and therefore this inspection represents the first time they will have been rated by us.
Why we inspected:
This was a planned comprehensive inspection since we inspect new services within 12 months of them being registered by us.
Follow up:
The next scheduled inspection of the service will be within two and a half years of the published date of this report in keeping with our inspection methodology.
We will continue to monitor information we receive from and about the service and if any concerning information is received we may inspect the service sooner.