Semy Care Ltd

Updated 7 June 2023

The inspection

We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.

Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.

Inspection team

The inspection was completed by one inspector and one 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 houses and flats.

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 performance review and assessment there was a registered manager in post who was also the provider.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the performance review and assessment. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider/registered manager would be able to support a remote performance review and assessment.

Performance review and assessment activity started on 15 May 2023 and ended 25 May 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We also sought feedback from the local authority. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this performance review and assessment. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We used all this information to plan our performance review and assessment.

During the inspection

We spoke with 3 people who used the service and 5 friends and relatives. We spoke with 3 staff including the registered manager/provider and care workers. We assessed the care plans, associated records, and medicine administration record (MAR) charts for 2 people. Several governance records were also assessed including staff recruitment records for 2 staff, quality assurance audits, service improvement plans, policies, and procedures.

This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We used technology such as telephone calls to enable us to engage with people using the service and staff, and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation. Performance review and assessment activity started on 15 May 2023 when the Expert by Experience spoke with people who used the service, and their relatives. Performance review and assessment activity concluded on 25 May 2023 when feedback was given to the registered manager/provider.

Updated 7 June 2023

About the service

Semy Care Ltd is a domiciliary care service providing care and support to people living in their own homes. The service provides support to younger and older adults some of whom may be living with dementia, a physical disability, or a mental health issue. At the time of our inspection there were 5 people using the service.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. 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

People told us the service provided person-centred care that met their needs. They told us care was delivered with kindness and respect. People had been involved in the planning of their care as were their relatives as appropriate. 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 although improvements were needed in relation to associated records.

People told us they felt safe receiving the service and policies and systems were in place to help protect people from the risk of harm, abuse, and improper treatment. Risks had been identified to both those people that used the service, and staff. Medicines were administered mostly following best practice although improvements were needed to ensure complete adherence. People’s nutritional and hydration needs were met.

Care plans were detailed and individual to each person which helped staff deliver person-centred care. Regular reviews had taken place with people to ensure the service not only met their needs but that the quality was as expected. People told us they felt engaged, involved with the service, and listened to. They told us they received a flexible and responsive service.

Staff told us they felt supported, and we saw that they had been safely recruited, appropriately inducted, and trained, and that their competency to perform their role, assessed. People told us they had confidence in the staff’s abilities and that they treated them with compassion.

Systems were in place to oversee and assess the quality of the service and the registered manager understood their regulatory responsibilities. We did identify some shortfalls within the service although some of these had been identified and included in the provider’s service improvement plan. These shortfalls were discussed with the registered manager who acted positively to address them.

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 26 May 2022, and this is the first performance and review assessment. However, the service remained dormant until July 2022 meaning the regulated activity of personal care was not being delivered.

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.