Updated 17 November 2021
The inspection
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 Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by one inspector and an expert by experience. The Expert by Experience made telephone calls to people and their relatives to obtain feedback about their experience of the care provided. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
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. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
We gave a short period notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure a manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 14 October 2021 and ended on 1 November 2021. We visited the office location on 14 October 2021.
What we did before the inspection
We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.
We reviewed information we had received about the service, such as notifications. These inform us of events that happen in the service which the provider is required to tell us about by law. We sought feedback from the local authority. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We visited the office and spoke with the registered manager, area manager, two care co-ordinators and the care and training practitioner. We also spoke with four people that used the service, four relatives and two care staff following our visit.
We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and associated documentation. We also looked at the staff training records and a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.