Background to this inspection
Updated
24 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.
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 the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 13 October 2021 and ended on 27 October 2021. We visited the office location on 21 October 2021.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we held about the service. 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 used this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with three people who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager and care staff. We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care and medicines records, three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision and a variety of records relating to the management of the service.
After the inspection
We continued to review the provider’s training and quality assurance documentation.
Updated
24 November 2021
About the service
Infinitelifegroup Head Office is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. At the time of the inspection seven people were using the service.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. 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
The provider’s recruitment processes were not always effective in ensuring staff were safely recruited. People’s medicines documentation was not always clear and there was a lack of appropriate guidance about the management of medicines in place for staff to follow.
We have made recommendations about the provider’s recruitment processes and the management of medicines.
People told us they felt safe. Risks to people’s safety were assessed and staff had received safeguarding training and knew how to report any concerns. Staff followed safe infection prevention and control processes and the provider had implemented polices and guidance to support staff practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
People were supported by a small, consistent staff team who knew them well. Staff had received an induction and training relevant to their role and the registered manager monitored this to ensure training remained up to date. Staff told us they felt valued and supported in their role.
People told us the staff were kind and caring. 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.
People and their relatives told us they felt involved in making decisions about the care provided and were in regular contact with the provider. People’s care was personalised. Staff promoted people’s independence and were respectful of their privacy and dignity. People’s end of life care wishes were not currently recorded; however, the provider planned to incorporate this into their initial assessment in the future.
People and their relatives spoke positively about the management and culture of the service and told us they felt comfortable raising concerns with the provider. The registered manager had systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service and worked effectively alongside other health professionals to meet people’s needs when appropriate.
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 20 March 2020 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection as the service had not been rated.
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.