22 October 2015
During a routine inspection
This inspection took place on 22 October 2015 and was announced. The Cirencester branch of Crossroads Care provides a domiciliary care services which provides regular short breaks to carers/relatives who care for a person with physical needs or memory loss . Crossroads Care is part of the Carers Trust. The Carers Trust works to improve, support, services and recognition for anyone living with the challenges of caring. At the time of our inspection there were 37 people and their carers using this service.
The service had a registered manager. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
Due to the nature of the service, we spoke with people’s main carers (people’s relatives); throughout the report we will refer to people’s main carer as carers. Staff employed by Crossroads Care were called Care Support Workers.
Everyone we spoke with was complimentary about the service. People spoke highly about the care support workers and valued having regular care support workers which enabled them to build caring relationships. People and their carers spoke positively about the registered manager and care manager of the service.
There was a positive caring culture, promoted by the registered manager, care manager and chief executive officer. Care support workers were passionate about providing high quality personalised care and support. They spoke positively about people their preferences and their carers. Care support workers felt supported by the registered manager, describing them as approachable and supportive both personally and professionally.
Care support workers were knowledgeable about the people and carers they supported. They had access to development opportunities to improve their skills. Care support workers received specific training where it was required to support individual needs and had access to effective supervision (one to one meetings with their manager).
People's needs were assessed and where any risks were identified, management plans were in place. People were supported in a way that recognised their rights to take risks. People's care and support was personalised to their needs.
The service was responsive to people's changing needs. Care support workers identified when people’s needs had changed and made referrals to healthcare professionals where necessary. Carers spoke positively about the responsiveness and flexibility of the service.
People and their carers view on the service were continuously sought. The registered manager made every effort to ensure people and their carer’s views mattered. People and their carers felt the management was approachable.
Quality assurance systems were in place to enable the service to identify areas for improvement. The registered manager was supported by a chief executive officer who answered to a board of Trustees. The service ensured people and their carers had the information they needed.
The organisation was looking at creative and innovative ways to improve the amount and quality of support people and their carers could receive. This included community events aimed to support people who wanted more support.