Updated 10 May 2019
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team: One inspector, an assistant inspector and an expert by experience carried out the inspection. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of service.
Service and service type: Immaculate Grace Care Ltd is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes, including, older people and people living with dementia. CQC regulates the personal care provided.
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 comprehensive inspection took place on 3 April 2019. The inspection was announced. We gave the service 48 hours' notice of the inspection because we needed to be sure the provider or registered manager and other staff would be available to speak with us.
Inspection activity started on 14 March 2019 and ended on the 3 April 2019 when we visited the office location to meet with the provider and the registered manager, speak with staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures.
What we did: Prior to the inspection, we looked at the information we held about the service and used this to help us plan our inspection. This included concerns and complaints we had received and information the provider must notify us about, such as allegations of abuse. We reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We contacted the local authority commissioners for the service. The commissioners informed us that they were planning to cancel their contract with the provider. We also contacted the local Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer organisation that promotes the views and experiences of people who use health and social care services. They had no information to share with us.
We spoke with the provider, who is also the Nominated Individual for the service, the registered manager, a care co-ordinator, the administration manager and two members of care staff. We also spoke with two people, and four relatives of people who used the service by telephone.
We reviewed a range of records. That included, three people’s care records, including risk assessments and medicine records. Two staff personnel files, including recruitment, induction and training records. Staff work programmes and allocation records. Records of complaints and management audits and checks.