Healthy Care

Updated 5 October 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 was planned to check 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.

The inspection took place on 15, 22 and 23 August 2018 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the registered manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

Inspection site visit activity started on 15 August 2018 and ended on 23 August 2018. It included visiting the office and speaking to staff, people who use the service and their relatives by telephone. We visited the office location on 15 August 2018 to see the registered manager and to review care records and policies and procedures.

One inspector undertook the inspection.

Prior to the inspection we used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return on 9 July 2018. 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 the improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed other information we held about the service to aid with our inspection planning.

We contacted other health and social care organisations such as representatives from local authority contracts team and quality improvement team, Healthwatch (an independent organisation for people who sue health and social care services), and a speech and language therapist. This was to ask their views about the service provided.

We spoke with two people and one relative of a person who used the service. We spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager and two care staff.

We looked at care documentation for two people, medicines records, two staff recruitment files, staff supervision, and training records. We also looked at other records relating to the management of the service including audits and action plans, feedback questionnaires, newsletters, complaint and compliment records. We also looked the service user guide and end-of-life policy.

Updated 5 October 2018

Healthy Care 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 four older adults and younger disabled adults.

This inspection took place on 15, 22 and 23 August 2018. The inspection was announced. This is the first Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection since the service registered on 25 August 2017.

Not everyone using Healthy Care received a regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

There was a registered manager in place. 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.’

Staff followed the providers medication policy and people were having their medication as prescribed. Although, there was no evidence of people being placed at risk, some records lacked guidance for staff on whose responsibility it was to order, collect and dispose of people’s medication.

People were supported by staff who knew about how to protect people from abuse and harm. Staff also knew how to report concerns. People’s risk management plans provided guidance and information for staff on how to reduce and monitor people’s assessed risks to their health and welfare. However, although staff new people’s risks, documented guidance for staff around the risks posed by people’s specific health care conditions needed more detail as information for staff. People’s care records were held securely within the office to ensure confidentiality and a copy was held within people’s own homes.

People had no missed care visits and staff arrived at people’s care visits on time, or within the agreed plus or minus 15 minutes tolerance. People received a kind and compassionate service from staff who knew them well. Staff maintained people’s privacy and dignity when supporting them with their personal care. People were assisted by staff, where needed, with their eating and drinking to promote their well-being.

People had technology and equipment in place to help staff assist them to receive safe care and support. When things did not go as planned, the registered manager took actions to prevent these events from happening again.

New staff had recruitment checks completed on them prior to starting work at the service. Staff were trained to meet people’s care and support needs and development opportunities were in place for staff to increase their skills and knowledge. Supervisions and competency checks were in place to monitor and develop staff.

Personal protective equipment was in place for staff to maintain infection prevention and control when supporting people.

People were involved in their care decisions and staff promoted people’s independence as far as practicable. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible.

Where people were at the end of their life staff would work in partnership with other healthcare professionals to ensure people’s care was dignified and comfortable.

People were happy with how their complaints were managed, responded to and resolved where possible. The registered manager and deputy manager led by example and encouraged an open and honest culture within their staff team. Audit and governance systems were in place and were in the process of being improved so that they could drive forward any improvements required. The registered manager and their staff team linked up and worked with other organisations to ensure people’s well-being.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.