Background to this inspection
Updated
19 July 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
This inspection was carried out by one inspector and an Expert by Experience made calls to people and their families. 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 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 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 21 June 2022 and ended on the 24 June 2022. We visited the office location on the 22 June 2022.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed the 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 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 of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with three people who use the service and six relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 12 members of staff including, both registered managers, nine care workers and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.
We reviewed a range of records. This included five care records and medication records. We looked at other records relating to the management of the service including recruitment, staff training and supervision, and systems for monitoring quality.
Updated
19 July 2022
About the service
Willow Homecare & Support services is a domiciliary care agency providing care and support to people who live in their own homes in Grimsby and surrounding areas. The service provides support to older people, people living with dementia, learning disabilities or autism spectrum disorder, and mental health needs. It also supports people who misuse drugs or alcohol, have an eating disorder, a physical disability or sensory impairment. At the time of our inspection there were 218 people who were receiving a service from this provider.
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 has a robust ongoing recruitment campaign to recruit more staff. The service considered travel time for staff to ensure people received the amount of care agreed in their care plan.
The service has effective safeguarding procedures in place and manages safeguarding's promptly. Staff knew the safeguarding policy and had a good understanding of their responsibility to protect people from harm. Lessons are learned and communicated to support service improvement
People are involved in managing risks and risk assessments were person centred. Staff were aware of people’s risks and how to manage them. Staff told us “I would always read the risk assessment first if I was going to see someone new,” and “They provide the right information and we have time to read them.”
Staff managed medicines consistently and safely. Staff are trained and follow clear policies and procedures on infection control that meet relevant national guidance.
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.
The provider had clear and effective governance systems in place that identify and manage risks through audits and action plans. This information is used to drive improvements in the service. All relevant legal requirements were understood and met, including notifying the CQC of significant incidents that had occurred.
The service involves people, their relatives and friends in a meaningful way. All staff understand the need to provide a good quality service. One person told us, “I enjoy making sure people are cared for and they can stay in their home for as long as possible.”
Quality assurance arrangements were applied consistently and identified current and potential concerns and areas for improvements. Concerns were investigated and lessons were shared and acted on.
The service worked in a transparent and collaborative way with relevant stakeholders and agencies to support service development and joined up care.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the Care Quality Commission website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 15 July 2021) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
We carried out an announced inspection of this service on 13 April 2021. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve well led.
We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements.
For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Willow Homecare & Support services on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.