Carelife

Updated 6 October 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 was undertaken by one inspector.

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

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 11 August 2022 and ended on 31 August 2022. We visited the location’s office on 11 August 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed all the information we had received about the service and 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 one person using the service and a relative of another person using the service. We spoke with three staff and the registered manager. We looked at a range of records including two care plans for people using the service, five staff recruitment files and training records.

Updated 6 October 2022

About the service

Carelife is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were two people using the service.

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

People were not supported by staff who had been recruited using a robust employment procedure. However, the registered manager immediately took action to rectify this. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern.

People’s experience of using this service was positive. Staff arrived on time and supported them in ways which met their needs and preferences. People could be supported eating, drinking and taking medicines, where this formed part of their care plan. People and their relatives confirmed their privacy and dignity was respected. People, their relatives and staff gave us positive feedback about the way the service was managed. People were well treated by staff who cared about them.

The registered manager visited people to assess their needs before offering to provide a service. Risk assessments were in place which identified where people were at risk, and steps staff should take to reduce these. Risk assessments considered people’s healthcare needs and the environment they lived in. The provider had policies and procedures in place designed to protect people from the risk of harm and abuse. The registered manager liaised with health and social care professionals where necessary.

People had care and support plans in place which detailed the support staff provided and how people would like their needs met.

The provider had a complaints procedure in place. People were provided with information about how to complain in the service user guide, if they had any concerns or feedback about the care they received.

The registered manager understood their role in managing the service and had systems in place to ensure the service ran smoothly. The registered manager involved people using the service by contacting them to seek their views about the service they were receiving.

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.

At the time of the inspection, the location did not care or support for anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.

People received care and support which was person-centred and promoted their dignity, privacy and human rights.

The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident and empowered lives.

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

This service was registered with us on 7 April 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was the first inspection of a newly registered service.

Follow up

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