Background to this inspection
Updated
2 April 2022
The inspection
We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.
Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.
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 homes.
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
This inspection was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure the registered manager would be available to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since their registration with us. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. 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.
During the inspection
We spoke with one person using the service and three relatives. We spoke with six staff members and the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. This included six people's care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files 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.
This inspection and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We made phone calls to enable us to engage with people using the service and staff and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation. Inspection activity was completed on 10, 11, 17, 18 and 22 March 2022.
Updated
2 April 2022
About the service
Forever Care is a domiciliary care agency. It is registered to provider personal care to people living in their own homes.
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. At the time of this inspection 34 people were receiving personal care.
People's experience of using this service and what we found
People were protected from risk of abuse because staff had received training in safeguarding and knew what actions to take to keep people safe. Risks to people had been assessed and were regularly reviewed. There were recruitment processes in place to ensure suitable staff were appointed to support people. People's medicines were managed safely. There were no concerns regarding staff members’ infection control practices and they had good access to personal protective equipment (PPE). There were processes in place to investigate incidents or accidents with appropriate action taken promptly and measures put in place to mitigate the risk of future reoccurrences.
The provider completed initial assessments to make sure they could meet people’s needs. Staff completed induction training and people were supported by staff who had the skills and knowledge to support them safely.
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 relatives told us they were supported by kind and caring staff who knew people well. People's individual needs were respected and staff supported people with dignity and respect. People and relatives told us they were involved in the care and support planning.
The provider carried out audits of the service to monitor and review the quality of the care provided to people. The provider completed regular competency checks to monitor staff practice to ensure they were working to current best practice. The provider worked in partnership with health and social care professionals to ensure people’s health needs were being monitored and reviewed.
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 09 April 2020 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection for this newly registered service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.
This was an 'inspection using remote technology'. This means we did not visit the office location and instead Forever Care used technology such as electronic file sharing to gather information, and phone calls to engage with people using the service as part of this performance review and assessment.