Caremark (Wakefield)

Updated 9 November 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.

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 short notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small, and people are often out, and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

Inspection activity started on 10 October 2022 and ended on the 13 October 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. 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 two people who used the service and six relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eight members of staff including the registered manager, and care workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people's care records and medication records.

We looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.

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.

Updated 9 November 2022

About the service

Caremark (Wakefield) is a domiciliary care agency and provides personal care and support to children, older people and people with a learning disability who require assistance in their own home. At the time of our inspection 59 people were being supported by the service. 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

We found some improvements were needed. The provider had failed to recognise and take action to keep a person safe and staff training in safeguarding had not always been effective.

Systems and processes for care call monitoring were not effective and a few people had experienced missed and late calls.

Quality checks, such as audits and spot checks on staff, were undertaken but were not always effective in identifying where improvements were needed.

Staff were described as having a kind and caring approach and promoted people's independence.

People had individual plans of care and these gave staff information about people. This included how to keep people safe and reduce risks of harm and injury. Some assessments needed additional detail to ensure staff could refer to actions to follow to minimise risks of harm. People received their medicines in a safe way.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. 'Right support, right care, right culture' is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

Right support: Model of care and setting maximises people's choice, control and independence

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.

Right care: Care is person-centred and promotes people's dignity, privacy and human rights.

Right culture: We found improvement was needed to ensure call times were consistent to ensure support met people’s needs.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

This service was registered with us on 12 October 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

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

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements and have identified breaches in relation to regulation 17 (Good governance) and regulation 13 (Safeguarding). You can see what action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

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