React Homecare Ltd

Updated 28 May 2022

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

This inspection was carried out by one inspector and two Experts 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 service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 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.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed evidence we held about this service, including contact we had received from people who used the service in the past. We sought feedback from professionals who commission care from this service. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

We visited the office location on 4 May 2022 where we reviewed documents relating to the running of the service, this included people’s care plans, staff recruitment records and records relating to governance. After the site visit we reviewed other documents including staff training records and rotas. We spoke with 21 people and eight relatives to receive their feedback. We spoke with 10 staff including the registered manager, manager and care staff.

Updated 28 May 2022

About the service

React Homecare Ltd is a domiciliary care service. They support people with personal care in their own homes. At the time of this inspection there were 75 people receiving this support.

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.

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

Staff had not always completed training to enable them to carry out their role effectively. Where staff had completed training, many of them had not completed the required refresher courses when the qualification date expired. Some people told us staff were not competent to support them with moving and handling.

Governance systems were in place but had not always been used effectively.

We recommend the provider review the information recorded within monthly audits to ensure it has always been reflective of events that have happened.

Risks to people’s safety were assessed and mitigated. However, some people told us there were times they did not feel safe because only one staff member had arrived when there should have been two. People received their medicines as prescribed. Staff followed safe infection prevention and control practices, such as wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). New staff were safely recruited and subject to necessary pre-employment checks.

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.

The provider carried out detailed assessments of people’s needs and provided clear and accessible guidance to staff about how to support people in the way that met their needs and preferences. People told us staff knew them well and understood any cultural or personal beliefs they held.

People told us staff were kind and caring. People and relatives were involved in care planning and reviews of their care. People were supported to take part in activities and maintain relationships with important people in their lives.

People and staff told us the company welcomed feedback and they felt involved in the running of the service. External professionals gave positive feedback about the communication they received about people’s care.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 12 November 2020 and this is the first inspection. The last rating for the service under the previous provider was Requires Improvement, published August 2017.

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. Please see the safe, effective and well-led sections of this full report.

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