Archived: Choices Homecare

Updated 24 March 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by an inspector and an Expert by Experience. 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 homes.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

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 07 February 2023 and ended on 20 February 2023. We visited the location’s office on 07 February 2023.

What we did before the inspection

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 gathered feedback from the local authority. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection we looked at a variety of records, including 3 care records and risk assessments and 2 staff recruitment files. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service, including policies and staff training and supervision records. We spoke with 7 people who used the service and 3 family members on the telephone. We talked to the registered manager and the group operations manager. We emailed 4 care assistants for their comments about the organisation.

Updated 24 March 2023

About the service

Choices Homecare Limited is a domiciliary care service, providing personal care and support to people living in and around Huddersfield. 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. On the day of inspection, 31 people were receiving the regulated activity of personal care.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

We found improvements were needed in some aspects of managerial oversight and governance of the service. Staff supervision had fallen behind and had not been carried out in line with the provider’s policy. Audits and checks of care records and medicines records had not always been completed. This meant some errors with medicines records had not been identified and people had not received their medicines as prescribed.

People and their relatives told us they felt safe using the service. There were enough staff available to meet people's needs at their requested time. The service had a robust recruitment process which ensured suitable staff were employed. Staff followed correct infection control practices.

People and their relatives were complimentary of the care provided by Choices Homecare Limited. They told us they were supported by kind and patient staff who helped them maintain their independence.

People's needs were assessed before they started using the service and the information was used to devise their care plans. New staff received a induction programme and all staff had completed a range of training which gave them the skills and knowledge to care for people in their own homes. 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.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 26 July 2019.

Enforcement

We have identified a breach in relation to the governance of the service. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.