The Portsmouth Sitting Service and Community Care Service Limited

Updated 17 July 2019

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was conducted by one inspector and an expert by experience (ExE). An ExE is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The ExE had experience of care for older people and those living with dementia.

Service and service type

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

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

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 14th June 2019 and ended on 14th June 2019. We visited the office location on 14th June 2019.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed 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. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection.

We spoke with six people who used the service and six relatives about their experience of the care provider. We spoke with eight members of staff, the registered manager, the service manager and the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care records and seven medicine records. We looked at five staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, were reviewed.

After the inspection.

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records and reviewed information obtained from telephone calls with people and people’s relatives.

Updated 17 July 2019

About the service

The Portsmouth sitting service and community care service is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care, a sitting service and emotional support to 50 people at the time of the inspection. 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

There were enough staff employed to support people in the community. Quality assurance processes were robust and risks to people and the environment were managed safely. Medicines were administered safely and as prescribed. Medicines records confirmed people received their medicines and audits were completed to ensure that systems were followed.

Assessments of people’s needs were carried out before they started using the service. These helped the service know if they can meet people's needs. Staff were supported through their induction, training and supervision. The service worked in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff were caring and respected people’s rights to privacy and dignity. People were involved in planning their care and were consulted about the care provided. Care plans contained the information staff needed to provide personalized care.

People received care and support as they wished and needed. People's relatives told us they would be confident to raise any concerns with the management team. Everyone we spoke with during the inspection was satisfied with the care and support provided for people.

The provider and registered manager had robust systems and processes to monitor quality within the service. The registered manager understood their regulatory responsibilities and shared information with stakeholders in a timely way. People, their families, staff and external professionals all told us that the registered manager and provider were supportive, and the service was well led. The service was led by knowledgeable managers who used their skills to lead staff and ensure people using the service had safe and effective support.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good, (published 14th December 2016).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.