Archived: MiHomecare - Bethnal Green

Updated 27 August 2015

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check 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 inspection took place on 14 July 2015 and was announced. The inspection was carried out by a single inspector. Following the inspection we asked an expert-by-experience to contact people using the service for their feedback. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The expert-by-experience who supported this inspection had experience and knowledge about caring for older people and people living with dementia.

The provider was given 24 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service; we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

Before the inspection we looked at the information the Care Quality Commission (CQC) held about the service. This included notifications of significant incidents reported to CQC within the past 12 months.

During the inspection we spoke with the registered manager and a regional manager. We also spoke with two office staff and three care workers. Following the inspection, we contacted 23 people who use the service, four relatives and a further three care workers. The records we looked at included 15 care plans, 12 staff records and records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 27 August 2015

This inspection took place on 14 July 2015 and was announced. MiHomecare Bethnal Green is a domiciliary care agency providing care to adults within their own homes. At the time of the inspection, 266 people were using the service.

The service had a registered manager in post. 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 service received the majority of its referrals via email or telephone from social workers based in the London Boroughs of Hackney and Tower Hamlets. A field care supervisor from the agency visited people in their own homes or in hospital to carry out an initial assessment.

Care plans had been developed by consulting with people and, if appropriate their family members. Where people were unable to contribute to the care planning process, staff worked with people’s relatives and representatives and sought the advice of health and social care professionals to assess the care needed.

Risk assessments had been completed and covered a range of issues including environmental factors, falls prevention, moving and positioning and skin care.

Staff had guidance about how to support people with known healthcare needs, such as when a person needed support with the application of prescribed topical creams.

The staff we spoke with knew about people’s interests, likes and dislikes, as well as their day to day lives at home. People’s independence was promoted and staff understood the importance of respecting people’s privacy and dignity.

Staff had completed training in food hygiene and preparation. Staff were required to support people to prepare simple meals of their choice and were aware of people’s specific dietary needs and preferences.

There were protocols in place to respond to any medical emergencies or significant changes in a person’s well-being.

Records showed that staff had attended relevant safeguarding training and were supervised and appraised on a regular basis.

There were policies and procedures in place to protect people from harm or abuse and staff were able to describe the actions they would take to keep people safe.

People and their relatives told us they thought the service was well managed, and we received positive feedback about the registered manager and staff.

There were arrangements in place to assess and monitor the quality and effectiveness of the service and use these findings to make ongoing improvements.