Background to this inspection
Updated
11 November 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
Two inspectors and an Expert by Experience carried out the inspection. 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 inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 24 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 7 October 2022 and ended on 28 October 2022. We visited the location’s office on 7 October 2022 and 20 October 2022.
What we did before the inspection
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 11 people and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We received feedback from six members of staff including senior care workers, field care supervisors, registered manager and the area regional support manager. We received written responses from two health and social care professionals.
We reviewed a range of records. This included two people's care and support records and five people’s medicine administration records. We looked at five staff files in relation to recruitment and training. We also reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, staffing rotas, accident and incident records, safeguarding records and quality assurance reports.
Updated
11 November 2022
About the service
West Moors-Care at Home is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care and support to people living in their own homes. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. At the time of this inspection 62 people were receiving the regulated activity of personal care from the service. 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 felt safe in the care of West Moors - Care at Home. People received their medicines as prescribed. However, we have made a recommendation about the documentation of medicines.
People’s care plans were detailed and kept up to date to ensure they received effective care and support. The service encouraged people to be independent and maintain a safe living environment.
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.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
At the time of the inspection, the service did not provide care or support for anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.
Right Support
Staff understood people and their individual needs well. People were supported by appropriate numbers of staff on each visit to ensure their safety and meet their needs. Staff knew people well and provided kind, caring, person-centred care and support.
People received care and support in their own homes, there were appropriate risk assessments in place to support them and maintain their environment. Referrals for specialist equipment and to other organisations such as the fire service were made to ensure people were safe.
Staff communicated with people in ways that met their needs. Staff supported people with daily living tasks in a way that promoted their independence and achieved the best possible outcomes.
Right Care
The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. Care plans and risk assessments were detailed and person-centred ensuring people were supported to live full, active lives and encourage them to be as independent as possible.
Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to raise concerns.
Right Culture
There was a positive and open culture at the service , a number of staff members commented on the, 'Open door policy’ and one staff member stated, “There is always somebody from the office there for you day and night.”
The service was well led with a focus on the recruitment, training and development of staff to ensure that people received a safe, caring and responsive service. Staff had confidence in the leadership of the service and felt the service was well led.
Staff demonstrated good understanding around providing people with person centred care and spoke knowledgably about how people preferred their care and support to be given.
The last rating for this service was good (published 18 November 2017).
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.