Background to this inspection
Updated
10 April 2020
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014
Inspection team
The service was inspected by one inspector.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
Notice of the inspection
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 9 March 2020 and ended on 18 March 2020. We visited the office location on 11 March and made telephone calls to people using the service and staff from 16 March to 18 March.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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 spoke with the registered manager and six members of staff. We spoke with four people using the service
We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including audits, training records, policies and procedures. We looked at feedback the provider had received from people using the service, their relatives and external professionals.
Updated
10 April 2020
About the service:
Home Instead Senior Care is a domiciliary care service providing care and support to people in their own homes in the Rotherham area. Not everyone using the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection it was providing personal care services to around 30 people
People’s experience of using this service:
Risk assessments were carried out to ensure people could be cared for safely, although we did identify a small number of areas where a risk assessment was required but not in place. People were protected against the risk of abuse. Staff had received training in relation to safeguarding, and records showed the provider had taken most of the required steps when people were suspected to be at risk of abuse, although on two occasions the provider had not made the required notifications to CQC.
The provider carried out audits of the service regularly, but we identified a small number of areas which the audits hadn’t identified. For example, medications were mostly well managed but there were no protocols in place for people taking medicines on an “as required” basis. We have made a recommendation about implementing appropriate protocols.
People received support which was tailored to their needs, delivered by staff who treated them with respect and knew them well. Staff treated people with warmth and empathy, and exhibited a passion for their roles. Staff spoke with pride about the service they delivered with many saying they would be happy for their loved ones to receive services from Home Instead Senior Care.
Management within the service had fostered a culture of openness and continuous improvement. There was effective communication between staff and managers, underpinned by regular staff supervision and appraisal. Staff received training and support to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to carry out their role effectively. People using the service spoke highly of the staff members’ knowledge, with one saying: “They know what they are doing, I have no concerns about them at all.”
People had access to healthcare professionals as required. 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’s feedback was regularly sought, so that they could contribute to ongoing improvements within the service. We saw evidence of this during the inspection.
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 July 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 re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.