Background to this inspection
Updated
25 January 2024
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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector and 2 Experts by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It also provides supported living providing care and support to people living in 22 ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.
Registered Manager
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 30 October 2023. We made telephone calls to people, relatives and staff on 8, 9, 23 November 2023, 10, 11 January 2024. We visited the location’s office on 11 January 2024.
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 authorities 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 communicated with 18 people who used the service and 12 relatives about their experience of the care provided. Not everyone who used the service communicated verbally or wished to speak on the telephone, therefore they gave us permission to speak with their relative. We spoke with 10 members of staff including the registered manager, service manager, 1 team leader and 7 care workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included 7 people's care records and multiple medicine records. We looked at 4 staff files in relation to recruitment. 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
25 January 2024
About the service
Sunderland Homecare Associates (20-20) Limited is a domiciliary care service that provides personal care to older people living in their own homes. It also provides a supported living service providing personal care to adults with a learning disability or autism spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection there were 114 people using the service, including 22 people receiving the regulated activity in the supported living service.
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.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.
Right Support
Systems were in place to ensure care was person-centred and to make sure people were at the heart of the service.
People were well well-cared for. Staff knew the people they were supporting very well and care was provided with patience and kindness. One person told us, “I didn’t want the carers in at first, I was too embarrassed, but I love them all now, they are so kind. They say take your time. They are very patient. I can’t find fault with one of them, they come in as happy as Larry.”
Records provided detailed guidance to ensure people received person-centred care. Risks were assessed and mitigated to keep people safe.
Right Culture
Systems were in place to ensure the right culture was being promoted, people’s human rights were respected and their opinions were listened to and valued.
Staff spoke positively about working at the service and the people they cared for. Staff said the management team was very approachable and they were supported in their role.
Staff were trained, knowledgeable and passionate about the service giving people the very best experience they could. People told us they were appreciative of the support provided to them. Their comments included, “They [staff] do everything well. They are lovely. The service do not have to improve anything because they are spot on with [Name]’s care” and, “When staff come they always have a chat to you, especially when they have done their job. The carer I have now has been awesome with me.”
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.
There was consultation with staff and people. People and relatives were encouraged to express their views about the care and were involved in decisions making, as far as they were able. People said they knew how to complain. A relative told us, “They left a manual of information. Up to now we have absolutely nothing to complain about because the service being provided absolutely meets our needs exactly.”
Right Care
People felt safe with the service provided. Staff knew about safeguarding procedures. Rota management was well-managed to ensure people received timely and consistent care from the same staff.
Staff recruitment was carried out safely and effectively. People were correctly supported with their medicines.
The provider was monitoring the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for effectiveness and people’s safety. A quality assurance system was in place to assess the standards of care in the service.
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 30 August 2018)
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
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.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Sunderland Homecare Associates (20-20) Limited on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.