Inspiration Care Domicilliary Care

Updated 27 January 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

We gave the provider 48 hours' notice of our intention to undertake an inspection. This was because the provider delivers a domiciliary care service to people in their own homes, and we needed to be sure that someone would be available in the office.

The service was last inspected on 22 June 2015, when it was rated as Good.

Inspection site visit activity started on 23 November 2017 and ended on 30 November 2017. It included visits with people in their homes on 30 November, and visits to the provider’s office location, on both dates, to see the management team, speak to staff and to review care records and policies and procedures.

Before the inspection site visit, we reviewed the information we held about the service, including any statutory notifications received from the provider. A statutory notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to send us by law. We also contacted the local authority and Healthwatch for their views on the service. The provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to our inspection visit. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used this information in the planning of our inspection.

This inspection team consisted of one inspector. Over the course of our inspection, we met with four people in their homes. We spoke with six people who use the service, four relatives, an occupational therapist, a speech and language therapist, a support manager, an advocate, a case manager and assistant case manager, a neuro-physiotherapist and a dietician. We also spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager, two senior care staff ('team leaders') and three care staff.

We looked at two people's care files, medication administration records, incident and accident records, three staff recruitment records, staff training records, selected policies and procedures, and records associated with the provider’s quality assurance.

Updated 27 January 2018

The inspection took place on 23 and 30 November 2017 and was announced.

The service was last inspected on 22 June 2015, when it was given an overall rating of Good. At this inspection, we identified clear improvements in the service in relation to how the provider ensured the care and support people received was Effective, Caring and Responsive.

Inspiration Care Domiciliary Care is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. There were seven people using the service at the time of our inspection.

This service provides care and support to people living in seven ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live in their own home 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 is required to have a registered manager and there was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The strong person-centred culture within the service empowered people, enabling them to live full, vibrant lives and achieving exceptional outcomes for individuals. People and their relatives agreed, and received, a bespoke package of care and support, reflecting their diverse needs and requirements. Personalised support plans emphasized people’s strengths, abilities and what was of greatest importance to them. Through adhering to these, and embracing the use of new technologies, staff provided consistent, person-centred support that enhanced people’s health, well-being, and independence. People’s involvement in their local community was actively encouraged, along with their access to a wide range of work opportunities and leisure activities. The person-centred support people received included help to adapt their homes to better suit their individual needs, and to identify additional sources of help and advice that may be of benefit to them.

Staff and management maintained open communication, and worked in close partnership with people, their relatives and the professional team to fully benefit from their expertise, insights and experience. Their ongoing involvement in assessment, care planning, care reviews and staff training was actively encouraged. People and their relatives felt respected, valued and listened to. Staff and management used a range of communication strategies and accessible materials to ensure people were able to fully express their views and have full involvement in decision-making that affected them.

People experienced close, trusting relationships with staff who were highly motivated, exceptionally caring and who knew them well. Staff and management demonstrated their empathy and compassion for people in their consistent willingness to go the extra mile. Staff received the training, supervision and ongoing support needed to fully succeed in their roles and to continually improve their knowledge and skills. Respect for people’s privacy, dignity and human rights was at the heart of the service. Staff were alert to any form of discrimination and actively supported people in challenging these issues. Guided by clear procedures, risk assessments and safety protocols, staff understood and fulfilled their individual responsibilities to protect people from abuse and avoidable harm.