TLC Care at Home Ltd

Updated 19 November 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 team consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type

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

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 06 September 2019 and ended on 18 September 2019. We visited the office location on 06 September 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 12 people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 12 members of staff including the provider, registered manager, general manager, field administrator, care co-ordinator, team leaders, senior care workers, and care workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care records and multiple medication records. 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. We spoke with two professionals who regularly visit the service.

Updated 19 November 2019

About the service

TLC Care at Home Limited (TLC) is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. There were 68 people receiving support with their personal care at the time of the inspection.

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 were cared for by staff and the management team who were passionate about providing quality care and supporting people well. They demonstrated consistent empathy and understanding. People were supported by staff who were warm and considerate towards them, who people considered friends. The management team and staff consistently went the extra mile and followed the ethos of “Giving something back.” Excursions, and events were arranged to improve people’s well-being. There was innovative use of technology to improve people’s safety and people’s health and well-being outcomes. People were supported to remain safe and were assured by the support of caring staff. People and their relatives felt involved and supported in decision making. People's privacy was respected, and their dignity maintained. Additional learning for staff and systems were in place to improve people’s independence and health outcomes so they could stay in their own homes.

The management team were open, approachable and focussed on providing person centred care. They were passionate about the support staff provided and their ethos was a family business that really cared about people. People knew the management team and were confident they cared. People were supported by staff who were valued and listened to and consistently ensured people received quality care. They completed checks to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. The management team and staff engaged well with other organisations and had developed positive relationships. The management team worked on promoting strong community links to ensure people could access the support they needed.

People were cared for by staff who knew how to keep them safe and protect them from avoidable harm. Skilled, knowledgeable staff were available to meet people's needs. People’s risks were assessed and plans in place to guide staff. Safe systems were in place for the management of medicines when people needed support with this. Staff understood and followed infection control and prevention procedures. Incidents and accidents were investigated, and actions were taken to prevent recurrence.

People's needs were assessed, and care was planned and delivered to meet legislation and good practice guidance. Care was delivered by staff who were well trained and knowledgeable about people's needs and wishes. 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.

People and their relatives were positive about the service and the care provided. Staff had the information they needed to provide personalised support. Suggestions and ideas were acted upon from people, families and staff. Staff and the management team were flexed the service where possible to support people’s individual needs. People's concerns were listened to and action was taken to improve the service as a result. When people needed support at the end of their life the service had skilled staff and systems in place to provide quality 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 8 March 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.