Background to this inspection
Updated
13 December 2022
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by an inspection manager and an inspector.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses.
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 16 November 2022 and ended on 18 November 2022. We visited the location’s office location on 16 November 2022.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority. We used all this information to plan our 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 information gathered as part of monitoring activity that took place on 22 September 2022 to help plan the inspection and inform our judgements.
We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 3 people who used the service and 3 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 2 members of staff and the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. This included 2 people's care records.
We looked at records in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were also reviewed.
Updated
13 December 2022
About the service
Epic Care Services is a domiciliary care agency. The service is registered to provide personal care to younger and older adults with various needs including, physical disabilities, sensory impairments, and people living with dementia or a learning disability. At the time of our inspection there were 12 people using the service.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. In this service, the Care Quality Commission can only inspect the service received by people who get support with personal care. This includes help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where people receive such support, we also consider any wider social care provided.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were protected from the risk of abuse and harm. Staff had received training in safeguarding people. Recruitment practises were followed and there were sufficient numbers of staff to ensure safe care. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was readily available for staff to use. Medicines were managed safely. People received their medicines as prescribed.
People's needs were assessed prior to starting with the service and care plans were developed according to people's needs. People and their relatives were involved in their care planning. People and their told us staff were on time for their visits and if on an occasion staff were delayed, they would be informed.
People felt able to complain and felt listened to. People told us they were treated with dignity and respect and were encouraged to be as independent at possible.
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.
Governance systems were in place to monitor the standard of care people received. The service worked in partnership with other health and social care organisations and the community to achieve better outcomes for people using the service.
The registered manager demonstrated a commitment to providing a good quality care service to people in the local community.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
At the time of the inspection, the location did not care or support anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.
For more information, please read the detailed findings section of this report. If you are reading this as a separate summary, the full report can be found on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection:
We registered this service on 19 June 2019 and this was the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.