This announced inspection took place on 8,10,11,15 & 17 September 2015. The provider had a short amount of notice that an inspection would take place so we could ensure staff would be available to answer any questions we had and provide the information that we needed.
Dudley and Wolverhampton Domiciliary Care are registered to deliver personal care. They provide Domiciliary care to people living in their own homes and support packages to a number of people who lived in four specially adapted bungalows. People who used the service had a range of support needs related to old age, dementia, mental health, learning and/or physical disabilities. At the time of our inspection 23 people received personal care from the provider.
The service had a registered manager. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.’
People and their relatives told us they felt confident that the service provided to them was safe and protected them from harm. We found overall that medicines were managed and monitored effectively within the service. Guidance for staff in relation to medicines to be given directly into the stomach were lacking.
Assessments had been undertaken to identify the issues that may put people using the agency at risk. People and their relatives told us they received the care they needed, when they needed it.
There were a suitable amount of staff available to deploy who had the skills, experience and training in order to support people and meet their needs.
Staff had access to a range of training to provide them with the level of skills and knowledge to deliver care safely and efficiently. The registered manager was responsive in sourcing specific training for staff when it was needed.
Care plans contained information about people’s abilities, preferences and support needs. People and their relatives told us staff established consent before providing care.
People and relatives told us that staff acted in a way that maintained people’s privacy and dignity whilst encouraging them to remain as independent as possible. People were supported to take food and drinks in sufficient quantities to prevent malnutrition and dehydration.
Systems were in place for people and their relatives to raise any concerns they had or to make a complaint.
Structures for supervision allowing staff to understand their roles and responsibilities were in place.
Staff told us the registered manager actively promoted an open culture amongst them and made information available to them to raise concerns or whistle blow.
The agency sought people’s feedback through questionnaires and phone contacts about the quality of the service. The registered manager and the provider undertook regular checks on the quality and safety of the service.