We carried out a review of the data available to us about Nurse Plus UK - Salisbury on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Nurse Plus UK - Salisbury, you can give feedback on this service.
Nurseplus UK is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to 18 people at the time of the inspection in their own homes.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. 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 and their relatives told us they felt the service provided safe care. People felt the staff were well-trained and knew how to meet their needs. We received positive feedback about how kind and caring the staff were.
Care plans included information about people’s assessed needs and wishes. The information was concise and contained clear directions for staff to ensure they delivered the care the person wanted and needed.
Where people had support with preparation of food and drinks, they told us they were happy with what the staff prepared for them.
If people had concerns or complaints, they knew who they could contact to raise these with. People and their relatives told us they would feel happy to contact the office and they felt their concerns would be acted upon.
People or their representative were involved in discussions and decisions about their care. People were supported to have choice and control of their care 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.
Where staff were required to administer medicines, there were clear guidelines in place for staff to follow to ensure these were given safely.
Risks to people’s safety and wellbeing were assessed and risk reducing measures were documented in their care plans for staff to follow.
Staff were recruited following safe recruitment processes. These included the employer obtaining character, employment and background checks.
Staff received training in different formats, this included online learning and face to face sessions. Staff competencies were checked through direct observations and their performance was discussed at regular supervision meetings.
The registered manager had a good overview of the service. Audits were completed, and surveys were given to people, their relatives and staff. The registered manager conducted thorough investigations of any safeguarding concerns which were brought to their attention.
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 14 January 2017)
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.
A registered manager was employed by the service. 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. The registered manager was available throughout the inspection.
People told us they felt safe with the care and support they received from the service. Staff had received training in the safeguarding of vulnerable adults and were aware of their responsibility to report any concerns. Policies and procedures were in place to guide staff on what they should do if they had concerns. Risks were assessed and reviewed regularly and control measures were put in place to minimise the risks to people. There were effective pre-employment checks for the safe recruitment of staff, including criminal records checks and obtaining character references.
People and their relatives were all positive about the caring qualities of staff. They told us they felt comfortable with the staff members and were able to approach them with any concerns they had. Each person was allocated a small team of staff so they always knew who would be supporting them. This enabled continuity of care and relationships to be established. People told us staff were respectful of their privacy and dignity when providing personal care.
People were involved in discussions about the care and support they wished to receive. Care plans were personalised and contained information on their specific needs and preferences, and how they wanted these to be met by staff. People told us they were treated as individuals and felt they were supported in the way they wanted. Staff were knowledgeable about the people they supported. Staff provided people with the care and support they required in line with their care plans.
People were supported to stay healthy and well. Staff explained how they monitored people’s well-being during their visits. If they had any concerns about a person’s health they would record this and report their concerns to ensure appropriate action was taken. People received their medicines as prescribed and safe management processes were in place and followed by staff.
Staff received the appropriate training to meet people’s needs. The head of training monitored training to ensure staff skills and knowledge were kept up to date. Staff received regular supervision (one to one meetings) and appraisal so that they were appropriately supported to care for people. Staff felt management were approachable and supportive.
There were sufficient staff to meet people’s care and support needs. People were supported by people that were of good character and were suitable for the role. People did not have major concerns about staff turning up late or missing a scheduled visit. Staffing levels were monitored by the homecare coordinators and registered manager to ensure people received continuity of care.
People and their relatives knew how to make a complaint if needed. The registered manager routinely sought the views and experiences of people using the service about the quality of care and support they received and if it could be improved upon. There were quality assurance systems in place to monitor the quality of service being delivered and to make improvements where needed.
The service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People told us staff sought permission before undertaking any care or support. Staff had an understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and explained how they supported people to make decisions regarding their daily living.
Staff working in the service had access to personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and aprons to help prevent cross contamination and promote infection control.