Senacare Services LTD is a domiciliary care agency. It provides a service to older people, people living with dementia and younger adults living in their own houses and flats. Not everyone using Senacare Services LTD receives a regulated activity. 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. At the time of our inspection there were 22 people using the service.People's experience of using this service and what we found
People told us they felt safe. There were safeguarding adults procedures in place to guide staff. The registered manager and staff had a clear understanding of these procedures. The provider carried out an assessment of people’s care needs before they started using the service to ensure staff could support them safely. There were appropriate recruitment checks before staff started work and there were enough staff available to meet people's care needs. Where required people received safe support from staff to take their medicines.
The provider and staff were following government guidance in relation to infection prevention and control. Staff had received training on COVID-19 and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). The service had business continuity and COVID-19 contingency plans in place that made provisions for safe care in the event of an emergency, or an outbreak of COVID-19.
People were supported by staff who were well trained and competent in their role. Staff had received training and support relevant to people's needs. Where required, people received support to maintain a balanced diet. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Those whom we spoke with knew how to make a complaint if they were unhappy with the service. People had access to end of life care and support if it was required.
People were supported by a caring staff team which provided them with continuity of care. We were told how staff encouraged people’s independence, “They support [relative] to go out for a walk, even though it’s a complicated process.” People told us they were treated in a consistently caring and respectful manner and they had been consulted about their care and support needs. They were complimentary about the registered manager and care staff and gave many examples of how the service they received had a positive impact on their life and enhanced their wellbeing. They told us about acts of kindness which were outside the remit of the agreed plan of care. One person said, “[Registered manager] was there for me when my [relative] died, came around to check on how I was doing.” Everyone we spoke with told us they would recommend the service to others, and some had already done so.
There were effective systems in place to regularly assess and monitor the quality of the service people received. Staff benefited from regular supervision, competency assessments and observation in their care visits by the registered manager. Staff said they attended team meetings and received good support from the registered manager. The registered manager took people and their relatives views into account through regular telephone surveys and their feedback was used to improve the service. The registered manager and care staff worked with health care professionals to plan and deliver an effective service.
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 18 March 2020 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection following registration.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner