In Home Care Chelmsford

Updated 7 June 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

The inspection team consisted of two inspectors and one Expert by Experience who made phone calls to people and relatives. 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 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 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 26 April 2022 and ended on 6 May 2022. We visited the location’s office on 28 April 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During our office visit we spoke with the branch manager, who was applying to be the registered manager and the provider who was also the nominated individual and current registered manager. A nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service.

We met with three office staff, including the care coordinator and the officer in charge of recruitment. We reviewed a range of records relating to the management of the service, including four people's care records, two staff files, training and quality assurance records.

The Expert by Experience spoke with two people who use the service and eight relatives to gather their feedback on the quality of care provided. During this period the provider sent us additional information by email, as requested. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service and received feedback from one professional. We had contact with four staff with feedback on the service.

Updated 7 June 2022

About the service

In Home Care Chelmsford is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of inspection, the service was providing personal care to 27 people.

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

A few months before our inspection the service had experienced a significant outbreak of COVID-19. During this period there had been a dip in the usual quality of staffing and communication. Despite this, feedback about the culture of the service and care provided from people and their representatives was largely positive.

The provider had a range of quality checks and systems to support them to have oversight of the service, however these had not been effectively implemented. Not all office staff were working and sharing information consistently.

The registered manager took prompt action when concerns were raised. Improvements were needed as the service grew to ensure good oversight of these actions and that any learning was used to improve the service in a sustained way.

There was minimum impact from the lack of effective systems. Electronic systems provided daily alerts to ensure people received their care as required. The provider promoted a caring culture. As the service was still small, staff knew people well and provided personalised support. The provider engaged well with people, their representatives, staff and external professionals.

There was a commitment to drive improvements. The provider had recruited a new, experienced branch manager however they had not been in post long enough to make the necessary improvements.

The registered manager minimised risk across the service. Risk assessments were personalised, and care plans provided staff with detailed guidance on how to support people safely.

There were enough safely recruited staff to support people safely. Office staff had stepped in during the COVID-10 outbreak to keep people safe. Safeguarding practices protected people from the risk of abuse. Staff supported people to take their medicines safely, and as prescribed. The registered manager minimised the risk of infection from COVID-19.

Staff had the necessary guidance and training to help them support people in a person centred manner, in line with their preferences. Staff were well supported and gave us positive feedback about the service. People received the necessary support to eat and drink. Staff worked with external professionals to promote people's wellbeing, referring for support when necessary.

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. Staff supported people in a respectful manner, promoting their independence and choice. Staff communicated with people in a way they understood.

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 10 December 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection of a newly registered service.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.