We carried out a review of the data available to us about Dolphin Healthcare Services 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 Dolphin Healthcare Services, you can give feedback on this service.
Dolphin Healthcare is a domiciliary care agency registered to provide personal care services to people in their own homes, including children. At the time of our inspection, they were providing care and support to 17 people who receive regulated activity personal care.
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.
Dolphin Healthcare services provide live in 24/7 care. This is where a carer lives in a person’s home for a set number of days to provide assessed care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People had care plans in place, however care plans were not always person centred and identifying specific needs of a person. During the inspection the registered manager took on our feedback and reviewed all care plans in place for people.
Systems were in place to safeguard people, staff had good understanding in recognising risks to people and actions they needed to take to safeguard people from abuse. Risk assessments were detailed, and control measures were in place to reduce the risk of harm.
Staff received training to enable them to have the skills and experience to support people with varied healthcare needs. Management was active in reviewing care packages and assessing any additional training required. We saw from records that partnership working with other agencies to meet the health needs of people in place and working well.
The provider had systems in place to record accidents and incidents. Records of lessons learnt were also reviewed and any learning for staff implemented by the management team. Staff members we spoke with understood how to report any incidents and who the appropriate person was to notify. Complaints were recorded by the provider, fully investigated and a response provided.
Staff members we spoke with felt supported by management and found the manager approachable. Staff also commented on the knowledge of the manager and how this helped in their roles.
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 20th November 2019)
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about medicine management, reporting, and recording accident and incidents, staff member knowledge and skills to fulfil roles and provide care matching people’s needs, lack of auditing and management oversight. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.
For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.
The overall rating for the service has remained Good based on the findings of this inspection.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.
Dolphin Healthcare is a domiciliary care agency registered to provide personal care services to people in their own homes, including children. At the time of our inspection they were providing care and support to 23 people, of which eight were receiving the regulated activity of, personal care. The provider offers other services to people such as support with shopping or household tasks that we do not regulate.
The provider had applied in April 2019 to add the regulated activity of TDDI Treatment of disease, disorder or injury to their registration. This had been added however, at the time of the inspection the provider was not carrying out this activity.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Risks to people had been assessed and staff had a good understanding of these risks and how to minimise them. People were supported to receive their medication as prescribed and staff ensured infection control policies and procedures were followed. Staff understood their responsibilities to safeguard people and demonstrated a good knowledge of types and signs of abuse and how to report concerns of abuse.
People's care records were person centred and guided staff on the way they preferred their care and support to be provided. The provider had a system in place to ensure any complaints received would be logged, investigated and responded to and any learning used to improve the service provided.
Staff were well supported, and training ensured staff understood people’s care needs. More specific training helped staff to care for people’s particular health needs. The provider worked with other healthcare professionals to ensure people’s needs were met.
The provider had systems in place to identify and support people's protected characteristics from potential discrimination. Protected characteristics are the nine groups protected under the Equality Act 2010. They include, age, disability, race, religion or belief etc. Staff members we spoke with knew people they could tell us about people's individual needs and how they were supported.
The service was well managed and led. Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities. Quality monitoring systems were in place to ensure the service provided a good standard of care.
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 05 May 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 reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Dolphin Healthcare is a Domiciliary Care Service which is registered to provide personal care services to people in their homes, including children. At the time of our inspection they were providing care and support to 16 children; only five of these children were receiving the regulated activity, personal care. The provider also offers other services to people such as support with shopping or household tasks that we do not regulate.
The provider is required to have a register 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 a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. A registered manager was in post at the time of our inspection.
People were supported by enough members of staff who had the knowledge and skills they required to care for people safely and effectively. This included the safe management of medicines so that people received support to take their medicines as prescribed, if required.
People were protected from the risk of abuse and avoidable harm because staff received training and understood the different types of abuse and knew what actions were needed to keep people safe. The provider had also ensured effective systems were in place to report and investigate any concerns raised, which included working collaboratively with external agencies.
People were supported by staff that were kind, caring and respectful and who took the time to get to know people and their families. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible, where possible and were supported to have food that they enjoyed.
People knew how to complain if they were unhappy and they were confident that their concerns would be responded to efficiently and effectively.
The provider had management systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service provided to people. Staff reported to feel supported and valued within their work and felt that the provider maintained open, honest and transparent communication systems within the service.