Obatos Care Services Limited

Updated 24 March 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 houses and flats. The provider also provides care and support to people living in ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

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.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection-

We spoke with one person using the service. We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager, business manager and support workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included one person’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 reviewed.

This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We used technology such as video 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 carried out on 08, 09 and 10 March 2022.

Updated 24 March 2022

About the service

Birmingham is a community-based care provider that provides personal care to people living in their own homes and supported living settings. At the time of inspection two people were receiving support from 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

One person received support from the service with the regulated activity of personal care on the day of the inspection. We must protect the person's rights to a private life so the report will provide an overview of the care received by the person rather than specific examples.

Risk assessments in place did not contain enough information to guide staff on how to support the person safely, however, staff knew the person using the service well. Medication records had not been completed where medication was being administered and this meant we could not be assured medication was being administered as prescribed.

The provider’s audits and oversight of the service had not identified the areas of concern we found during the inspection.

Staff had received training in safeguarding and knew the actions to take to keep people safe. There were recruitment processes in place and recruitment checks were carried out before staff were appointed. This ensured suitable staff were appointed to support people. Staff followed infection control guidance and had access to personal protective equipment.

The person was encouraged to have choice and control of their life and was supported in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests.

The person received kind and respectful support. Their privacy, dignity and independence were maintained. The person was involved in decisions about their support and life.

The person was supported to have interests, and take part in activities they enjoyed.

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 June 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection for this newly registered service.

This was an ‘inspection using remote technology’. This means we did not visit the office location and instead used technology such as electronic file sharing to gather information, and video and phone calls to engage with people using the service as part of this performance review and assessment.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.