Background to this inspection
Updated
9 August 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 carried out by one inspector. A second inspector carried telephone interviews.
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 17 June 2022 and ended on 21 June 2022. We visited the location’s office on 17 June 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 (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
During the inspection we spoke with the registered manager who is also the provider. Following the inspection, we carried out a telephone interviews with one person receiving support from the service and one relative. We also received feedback from four care workers. We looked at the care plans for two people, the recruitment and training records for four care workers and other information relating to the management of the service including policies and procedures.
Updated
9 August 2022
About the service
Ivy & Sage Homecare Office is a domiciliary care service providing personal care and support for people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection they were providing support for five people of which four people received support with personal care. 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
The provider had not always assessed and mitigated identified risks to ensure care workers were provided with adequate information on how to reduce possible risks. The provider had a process in place for the administration of medicines but did not always ensure care workers had appropriate guidance to ensure medicines were administered as prescribed and in a safe manner.
People were not always supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did not always support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did not always support this practice. We have made a recommendation in relation to supporting people to be involved in making decisions about their care in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005)
The provider did not always have robust quality assurance procedures to enable them to identify issues and implement actions to make improvements when required.
The provider had recruitment processes which enabled them to identify new staff with the required skills and knowledge for the role. People and relatives felt the support provided was safe and met the identified care needs. The provider had developed procedures to investigate and identify lessons that could be learned in relation to complaints, safeguarding and incidents and accidents.
Care workers received appropriate training and supervision so they could meet people’s care needs. People’s care and support needs were assessed and reviewed regularly. People and relatives felt the care workers provided care in a kind and caring way. People’s privacy and dignity was respected. Care plans were written in a person-centred manner which identified people’s support needs and how they wanted their care provided. People’s communication support needs were identified.
The person we spoke with and a relative both told us they were happy with the care provided. The care plans identified people’s cultural and religious preferences.
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 5 May 2021 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
The inspection was conducted based on the date of registration.
Enforcement and Recommendations
We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.
We have identified breaches in relation to safe care and treatment and good governance at this inspection. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
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.