Archived: Swindon Link Homecare

Updated 28 October 2016

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.

The inspection took place on 21 September 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides domiciliary care services. We wanted to make sure the registered manager would be available to support our inspection, or someone who could act on their behalf. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before we visited we looked at notifications we had received. Services tell us about important events relating to the care they provide using a notification. We reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR) from the service. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During our inspection we went to the service’s office and spoke with the registered manager. We looked at documents relating to people’s care and support and the management of the service. We reviewed a range of records which included six care and support plans, staff training records, staff personnel files, policies and procedures and quality monitoring documents.

We spoke on the telephone with 13 people who used the service and relatives about their views on the quality of the care and support being provided. We spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager, administration staff and five care staff.

Updated 28 October 2016

Swindon Link Homecare provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes in Swindon and the surrounding areas. At the time of our inspection 222 people were using the service.

The inspection took place on the 21 September 2016 and was announced, which meant the provider knew before the inspection we would be visiting. This was because the location provides domiciliary care services. We wanted to make sure the registered manager would be available to support our inspection, or someone who could act on their behalf.

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.

Whilst there were systems in place to ensure people received their medicines safely, administration records we reviewed were not always completed. Daily records did not contain information to say why medicines may not have been given and did not document if any actions had been taken to address the gaps in recording. This meant it was not always possible to confirm if people had received their medicines as prescribed.

People received safe and effective care which enabled them to live in their own homes. People and their relatives praised the care staff and spoke positively about the care they received. People, relatives and staff spoke positively about the management of the service. Staff felt supported and confident in raising concerns and felt the registered manager, deputy manager or office staff would act on these.

People were treated with dignity and respect. People and their relatives told us staff were kind, caring and respected their right to privacy. Care plans were person centred and contained evidence that people and/or their relative had been involved in the planning of care and support. Staff told us they monitored people’s health and wellbeing and any changes or concerns were reported to the office staff, relatives and where appropriate healthcare professionals.

Staff were aware of the types of abuse people may be at risk of and the actions to take if they suspected someone was at risk of harm. Staff were aware of their responsibility to report any concerns they had about people’s safety and welfare.

People received their care at the correct time. The service, where possible, tried to ensure people received care and support from the same members of staff to ensure consistency of care.

There were enough staff deployed to fully meet people’s health and social care needs. Appropriate recruitment processes were in place to reduce the risk of unsuitable staff being employed by the service. Staff received training and support from management to ensure they had the right knowledge and skills to meet people’s needs.

The service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Records showed people were asked for their consent before personal care was provided.

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.

People and their relatives told us they knew how to raise any concerns or make complaints should the need arise. The registered manager investigated complaints and concerns The registered manager sought feedback from people to ensure the quality of care was maintained. People, their relatives and staff were supported and encouraged to share their views. Quality assurance systems were in place to monitor the quality of service being delivered.

We a found breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.