18 June 2019
During a routine inspection
Sisterly Care Ltd is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to older adults living with families or in their own homes in the community. At the time of our inspection they were supporting 34 people.
Not everyone who used the service received 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’s personal information was not always held securely. The provider did not have a system that protected the information being shared with staff. The provider took immediate action and implemented a system in response to our feedback. We will not be able to confirm if sufficient action has been taken until we next inspect the agency.
People were cared for safely and staff understood their responsibilities to keep people safe from abuse or harm. One person said, “I feel safe with them (staff), I look forward to them coming.” Risk assessments were in place which ensured that staff knew what to do to mitigate the risks identified.
People received their medicines safely and there were effective practices in place to protect people from infection. One person said, “Staff do my medication, it is different every day. Even the younger ones have got their heads round it. I am confident in them.”
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 received the support they required and had access to training. One relative said, “They are a better agency than I have used before. The staff are always competent and always ask if anything else needs to be done, before leaving.”
Staff were kind and caring and passionate about the care they provided. People and their families consistently told us how well looked after they were, and staff were respectful. One person said, “They are very kind, they go over and above.” People's dignity and privacy was maintained, and people felt in control of their lives.
People had individualised care plans which ensured they received person-centred care. Plans considered people's preferences, likes and dislikes and their cultural and religious backgrounds. People knew who to speak to raise concerns and were confident they would be listened to.
The provider was open and honest and strived to look at ways to improve the service. One relative said, “[Registered manager] is very good and asks how the care is going. It is comforting to know that there is ongoing monitoring.” Staff felt well supported and people were confident in the service they received. Staff liaised with other health professionals and looked at ways to improve people's life experiences.
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 7 December 2016).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Sisterly Care Limited on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.