Homecare Services

Updated 6 March 2019

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014. This was a comprehensive inspection.

This inspection took place on 22 and 25 January 2019 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection, so that the registered manager could contact people being supported and their relatives, to ask if they would be willing to provide us with feedback about the service. The inspection was carried out by one adult social care 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.

Before the inspection we reviewed information we held about the service, including previous inspection reports and notifications we had received from the service. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. As part of the inspection we contacted one community professional who was involved with the service for their comments. We also contacted Lancashire County Council contracts team and Healthwatch Lancashire for feedback about the service. Healthwatch Lancashire is an independent organisation which ensures that people’s views and experiences are heard by those who run, plan and regulate health and social care services in Lancashire.

As part of the inspection we spoke on the telephone with 15 people who received support from the service and six relatives. We also spoke with two care assistants, one senior care assistant, the registered manager and the manager responsible for the day to day running of the service. We looked in detail at the care records of two people who received support from the service. In addition, we looked at service records including staff recruitment, supervision and training records, policies and procedures, complaints and compliments records and audits of quality and safety.

Updated 6 March 2019

We carried out an announced inspection of Homecare Services on 22 and 25 January 2019.

Homecare Services is a domiciliary care agency which provides personal care and support to older people, younger adults and people living with dementia, living in their own houses and flats. At the time of our inspection the service was providing support to 86 people.

At our last inspection, we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they received safe care. Records showed that staff had been recruited safely and staff were aware of how to safeguard adults at risk. There were safe processes in place for the management and administration of medicines.

Most people told us staff visited them on time and stayed as long as they should. People liked the staff who supported them and told us staff were kind and caring.

Staff received an effective induction and appropriate training which was updated regularly. People supported by the service and their relatives felt that staff had the knowledge and skills to meet their needs.

People received support with eating, drinking and their healthcare needs. Appropriate referrals were made to community health and social care professionals to ensure that people’s needs were met.

People told us staff were caring and kind and respected their right to privacy and dignity. They told us staff encouraged them to be independent and did not rush them when providing support.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way; the policies and systems at the service supported this practice. Where people lacked the capacity to make decisions about their care, the service had taken appropriate action in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

People told us their care needs had been discussed with them and they received care that reflected their needs, risks and preferences.

People were happy with how the service was being managed. They found the manager and staff approachable. Staff told us the manager was approachable and they felt well supported.

The registered manager regularly sought feedback from people being supported and their relatives. We noted that people had expressed a high level of satisfaction about most areas of the service.

Audits and checks of the service were completed regularly. We found the checks completed were effective in ensuring that appropriate levels of quality and safety were maintained at the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.