Helping Hands Domiciliary Care Limited

Updated 16 August 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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.

Inspection site activity started on 17 July and ended on 23 July 2018. The inspection was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides personal care support to people living in the community and we needed to be sure someone would be available at the office location. The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector. Following the inspection site visit, an Expert by Experience contacted people who used the service and relatives to gain their views on the service provided.

As part of planning our inspection, we contacted Healthwatch and local authority safeguarding and quality performance teams to obtain their views about the service. Healthwatch is an independent consumer group, which gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We reviewed information we held about the service, including the notifications we had received from the provider. Notifications are changes, events or incidents the provider is legally obliged to tell us about within required timescales.

The provider sent us their Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used this information to help plan for the inspection.

During the inspection we reviewed a range of records. These included three people's care records containing care planning documentation, daily records and medicine records. We looked at three staff files relating to their recruitment, supervision, appraisal and training. We reviewed records relating to the management of the service and a wide variety of policies and procedures.

During the inspection we spoke with eight people who used the service and seven relatives to gain their views on the service provided. We also spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager who is also the provider.

Updated 16 August 2018

Inspection site visit activity started on 17 July and ended on 23 July 2018 and was announced.

At our last inspection the provider was found to be in breach of Regulation 19 Fit and proper persons employed. Following the last inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key questions of: Is the service Safe? and Is the service Well-led? to at least good.

At this inspection we found that sufficient improvement had been made to say that the breach of regulation had been met.

Helping Hands Domiciliary Care Limited is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to older adults, some of who may be living with dementia. At the time of inspection 60 older people used the service.

There was a manager in post who had registered with CQC. 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 two directors, one of whom was the registered manager, were present throughout the inspection.

The recruitment process had been strengthened to ensure all appropriate pre-employment checks were completed prior to new staff commencing employment.

Risk assessments had been implemented and reviewed where required. They provided staff with sufficient information to manage and reduce risks where possible.

Staff had received safeguarding training and appropriate policies and procedures were in place. Staff were able to explain the action they would take if they suspected abuse.

Medicines had been administered and recorded appropriately. Staff had received sufficient training in this area. The registered manager completed competency assessments to ensure staff had the skills required to manage medicines safely. A robust auditing system was not in place to highlight and respond to any shortfalls.

There was a sufficient number of staff employed. People received support from a consistent team of staff who were familiar with their needs.

Staff had received training and supervisions to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to carry out their roles. Staff were encouraged to develop their skills through continuous training.

People were provided with support which helped them maintain a balanced diet. People were encouraged to remain as independent as possible and their choices were respected by staff.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People had signed consent to acknowledge they had read and understood the support they were to receive.

Care plans contained person-centred information which enabled staff to provide support in accordance with people’s wishes.

A complaints policy and procedure was in place. People knew how to make a complaint and were confident any issues would be promptly addressed.

Quality audits had been further developed to ensure they included all aspects of the service. When shortfalls had been identified, appropriate remedial action had been taken.

People, relatives and staff spoke extremely positively about the registered manager and their approach. They had developed an open, honest culture that was respected by all staff. Regular staff meetings had taken place and staff were encouraged to contribute their ideas to further develop the service.

The registered manager was keen to continuously seek feedback from people and relatives to improve the quality of care provided.