Archived: Crossroads Care North Nottinghamshire

Updated 26 January 2018

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 is 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 comprehensive inspection of Crossroads Care North Nottinghamshire took place on 19 December 2017. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection because we needed to ensure the registered manager would be available.

The inspection was undertaken by one 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, the registered provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the registered provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. The PIR was received in a timely way and was completed fully. We looked at notifications sent in to us by the registered provider, which gave us information about how incidents and accidents were managed. We also contacted the local authority safeguarding team about their views of the service and they did not have any concerns.

Before our visit, our experts by experience undertook telephone calls to 20 people and 11 relatives of people who wanted their relatives to speak on their behalf. On 19 December 2017 we spoke with the registered manager, the operations manager, a care coordinator and two care workers. We looked at the care records for 10 people who used the service. We also looked at other records relating to the management and running of the service. These included two staff recruitment files, induction and training records, supervisions and appraisals and quality assurance and complaints records.

Updated 26 January 2018

Crossroads Care North Nottinghamshire is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses. At the time of our inspection there were 190 people receiving personal care.

At our last inspection on 13 July 2016 we found that the provider needed to make improvements to make the service safe, effective, responsive and well-led. We found at this inspection that improvements had been made.

The service had a registered manager. The registered manager was also the registered provider. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they felt safe when they were supported by care workers and that they trusted the care workers. All staff had training about safeguarding training to enable them to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and knew how to report them. There were risk management plans in place to protect and promote people’s safety. People were advised about how to stay safe in their homes.

The service had recruitment procedures that ensured as far as possible that only suitable staff were employed. There were enough care workers to cover all the home care visits that were required.

People received the support they required to have their medicines.

Care workers followed safe practice to protect people from the risk of infection.

There were arrangements in place at the service to make sure that action was taken and lessons learned when things went wrong and to improve safety across the service.

The care people received was focused on their needs and preferences.

Care workers who supported people with preparing meals were trained in food hygiene. People received enough to eat and drink and staff gave support when required.

Staff were supported to develop the skills and knowledge they needed to provide the care people needed through training and supervision. Different staff teams communicated with each other and coordinated their efforts so that people consistently experienced good care. Staff worked together with other services who were involved in people’s health and social care.

People were supported to access health services when they needed them.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and support workers supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

There was a strong culture within the service of treating people with dignity and respect. People’s views were sought and acted upon. People told us they were treated with dignity.

People’s care plans provided staff with detailed information and guidance about people's likes, dislikes, preferences and guidance from any professionals involved in their care. People and their relatives were involved in planning all aspects of their care and support and were able to make changes to how their care was provided. Care plans were regularly reviewed to ensure care met people's current needs.

People, relatives and staff knew how to raise concerns and make a complaint if they needed to and there was a complaints procedure in place to enable people to raise complaints about the service.

The registered manager and the staff team were knowledgeable about people's needs and key issues and challenges within the service. The registered manager had systems in place to monitor the quality of the care provided and to ensure the values, aims and objectives of the service were met. This included audits of key aspects of the service. The registered manager reported monthly to a board of trustees who scrutinized the service.

Staff felt supported and valued. Staff received one to one supervision which gave them an opportunity to share ideas, and exchange information about possible areas for improvements.

The registered provider was aware of their responsibility to report events that occurred within the service to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and external agencies.