Archived: Cuffley Care at Home Service

Updated 22 June 2016

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

We undertook a comprehensive inspection of Cuffley Care at Home Service on 19 May 2016. Before our inspection we reviewed information we held about the service including statutory notifications. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us. Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that requires them to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

The inspection was undertaken by one inspector. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice to ensure that the registered manager would be available to meet with us. During the inspection we received feedback from 16 people who used the services, eight relatives, six staff members and the manager. We also received feedback from professionals involved in supporting people who used the service. We viewed information relating to five people’s care and support. We also reviewed five staff files and other records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 22 June 2016

This inspection was carried out on 19 May 2016.We gave the provider 48 hours notice to make sure that the people we needed to speak with were available during our inspection. We also talked with staff and people who use the service on the 24 and 25 May 2016. At their last inspection on 21 November 2013 they were found to meeting the standards we inspected.

Cuffley care at home service provide a care and support service to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection, 138 people were receiving support from the service.

The service did not have a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The manager for this service is in the process of registration with CQC.

People received care and support that met their needs. There were individual care plans that gave guidance to staff to enable them to deliver this in a way that respected their choices, preferences and promoted their dignity.

People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff who had been recruited safely and had the appropriate skills for their role. Staff received regular support and supervision and the management team shared updates and lessons learned with them.

Staff knew how to identify abuse and risks to people and respond appropriately.

People’s medicines were managed safely. Everyone we spoke with was positive about the management of the service and the ethos of the service. Staff knew what was expected of them and people told us that they were all very kind and caring.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and address any shortfalls. People’s feedback was sought and this was responded to appropriately.