Helping Hands Enfield

Updated 15 June 2023

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

This inspection was carried out by 1 inspector and an Expert 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.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

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 25 May 2023 and ended on 8 June 2023. We visited the location’s office on 31 May 2023.

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

We spoke with 3 members of staff; these included the registered manager, care coordinator and care training practitioner. We spoke with 2 people using the service and 10 family members. We looked at staff records in relation to recruitment, training and supervision and a variety of records relating to the quality assurance and management of the service.

Following the inspection to the domiciliary care office, we continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found. We spoke to a further 4 members of staff by telephone.

Updated 15 June 2023

About the service

Helping Hands Enfield is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes. These include older people, people living with dementia and people with a physical disability. At the time of our inspection it was providing personal care to 21 people.

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

People received safe care from staff who knew them well. There was a safeguarding policy in place and the registered manager and staff knew how to identify and report any concerns.

Staff had been safely recruited and pre-employment checks carried out, and the service had enough staff currently to meet the needs of the people using the service.

Staff had received an induction and training to enable them to meet people’s needs. We saw that supervisions, spot checks, competency checks and meetings for staff were carried out and staff told us they felt supported by the registered manager to perform their role. People were supported with their medicines by trained members of staff where required.

The registered manager carried out an assessment of people’s needs and how they liked to be cared for. Care plans included guidance for staff on how to meet those needs. People’s nutritional needs were met. They were supported to maintain a balanced diet and where required supported to eat and drink.

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.

Staff told us they had access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and there were effective infection control measures in place. People confirmed appropriate PPE was worn by staff when being provided with care and support.

We received positive feedback about the leadership and management of the service. There were systems in place to monitor, maintain and improve the quality of the service.

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 25 March 2022, and this is 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.