Updated 19 February 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 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 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 a short period of 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 available to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 17 December 2021 and ended on 17 January 2022. We undertook the inspection using remote technology on 17 December 2021.
What we did before the inspection
The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We looked at notifications. Notifications are important information or events the service must tell us about, by law.
We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We used technology such as video calls and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation. We carried out phone calls and email communication to enable us to engage with people using the service, staff and professionals.
We reviewed five people’s care and risk assessment records. We reviewed staff training documentation. We reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.
We spoke with one person who used the service and seven relatives about their experience of the care provided. We communicated with 11 members of staff including the registered manager.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We contacted nine professionals who work with the service.