Penna Homecare Limited

Updated 13 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

This inspection was carried out by 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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

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 13 September 2019 and ended on 23 September 2019. We visited the office location at both the start and end of the inspection.

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 had not requested a provider information return prior to this inspection. 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.

During the inspection

We spoke with six people and five people’s relatives. We spoke with the provider, registered manager, a service co-ordinator and four care staff members and reviewed a range of records. This included seven people’s care and medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. 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.

Updated 13 November 2019

About the service

Penna Homecare Limited is a domiciliary care service that provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes. Penna provides care and support to people in their own homes in and around Stroud, Stonehouse and Dursley in Gloucestershire. The service supported 28 people 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 and their relatives spoke extremely positive about the caring nature of staff and management. People received care which was tailored to their individual needs and preferences. People and their relatives praised the responsiveness of staff, their knowledge and the little things they did. The service worked with other organisations and the local community to reduce social isolation.

People told us they were supported by staff who were kind and compassionate. They told us they felt safe when staff visited and were confident that any concerns would be dealt with promptly. People told us staff were not rushed, that they were mostly on time and stayed for the expected amount of time. 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;.

Staff told us they had received appropriate training which supported them to carry out their role. Staff received the support, training and encouragement they required to develop professionally. Staff told us the management were approachable and responsive to their requests. The registered manager, provider and staff were passionate about the care they delivered and were driven to improve the service and the wellbeing of people in the local community. They communicated and engaged with others such as family members to improve the lives for people.

The registered manager acted on incidents or concerns to ensure people received care which was safe and responsive to their needs. Staff were trained in safeguarding people and protecting them from harm. Any concerns or accidents were reported and acted on.

The registered manager and provider monitored the delivery of care through staff observations and feedback from people. Effective quality assurance systems had been established to monitor the quality of the service being delivered. The service worked with healthcare professionals to ensure people’s needs were maintained and they received safe and effective care in their own homes.

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 24 February 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.