Helping Hands Croydon

Updated 27 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 Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out 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. The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. 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.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We visited the offices of this service. We spoke with the registered manager, the care coordinator, the field supervisor and three members of staff. We inspected four care files and four staff files. We also reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service. We spoke with three people who used the service and three relatives on the telephone about their experience of the care provided. We asked the local authority for feedback but we did not receive any. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 27 August 2022

About the service:

Helping Hands is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. At the time of the inspection it provided a service for twenty-two people. The Care Quality Commission (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:

Some people said communications from the office were not always timely and could be improved when their care workers were going to be late and when information was sent out with details of which staff would be visiting in the coming week. Other people were happy but they told us communications had improved more recently. The registered manager told us additional recruitment to office posts had enabled communications to improve.

People and their relatives told us they felt safe and were protected from the risk of abuse. The service had appropriate safeguarding procedures. Staff told us they received regular training and they knew how to safeguard people from abuse and the processes that should be followed where concerns arose.

Risk assessments and risk management strategies were in place as part of the assessment and support planning process. This meant risks to people and to staff were minimised.

There were robust recruitment practices in place and sufficient staff levels to meet people's needs.

People received their medicines safely. Staff received appropriate training on the safe administration of medicines. This together with appropriate supervision and monitoring meant when required people received their medicines safely and staff had clear guidance to follow.

The provider ensured that all their staff received appropriate training and supervision. Staff told us they felt well supported. This included understanding and how to manage best practice for infection control and the use of PPE.

There were systems in place to ensure that accidents, incidents and risks were appropriately recorded and included details of preventive strategies used by the service to reduce the likelihood of events occurring in the future.

Assessments were thorough and expected outcomes were identified. Support plans were reviewed and updated as people’s needs changed.

People were supported by staff who knew them well and were able to identify people’s likes and dislikes. They were supported to eat and drink according to their dietary requirements taking into consideration people’s preferences.

People told us they received good quality care from kind and caring staff. They said that usually their care was delivered by a regular team of staff.

People and their relatives said that consistency and continuity of regular staff was important to them. People said sometimes it was left late before they knew which staff would be supporting them in the following week and earlier communication of this information would help.

People told us they were treated with dignity and respect. This was echoed by people’s relatives. They told us staff had the right skills to deliver appropriate care and support.

Staff were able to communicate with people well. Information was provided in various formats where required.

People and their relatives were confident that any concerns would be addressed appropriately and resolved by the registered manager. They told us the registered manager welcomed feedback and they said complaints were dealt with swiftly and professionally.

People and the relatives we spoke with told us they thought the service was well led and that they were very happy with the support they received.

There were effective systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided to people which ensured good governance. The service had systems in place to notify the appropriate authorities where concerns were identified. The culture of the service was positive, open and person centred.

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 07 July 2021 and this was the first inspection.

Why we inspected:

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

Follow up:

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