Home Instead Senior Care

Updated 23 July 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector and an Expert 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 homes.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was to ensure that all the relevant documentation could be accessed before the office visit.

Inspection activity started on 28 June 2021 and ended on 30 June 2021. We visited the office location on 30 June 2021.

What we did before 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 five people who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the registered manager and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 23 July 2021

About the service

Home Instead Senior Care is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to 46 people at the time of the inspection. 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. The service was supporting 20 people with these activities.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People and their relatives told us that the service was safe. Staff attended calls on time and people told us that they stayed for the correct amount of time. One person told us, “They are absolutely good on time, never missed coming at all and never leave early.” Staff were trained to give medicines and staff told us they were confident giving people medicines. Staff were aware of how to identify and report safeguarding concerns. Staff followed infection control procedures and told us they had access to appropriate levels of personal protective equipment (PPE). Staff were able to tell us about the risks to people and knew how to support people to minimise the risks.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible in their best interest; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People were involved in their care planning. Staff told us that they received training and felt supported in their role. One staff member said, "The company are really good and really supportive." Staff supported people to live healthier lives.

The service was caring. People told us that the staff treated them with kindness and respect. One person said, "Very pleased with them. My carers are cautious, caring and so friendly and always listen to me. I would not change them." Staff were aware of how to protect people's privacy and dignity and people told us that the staff did this well. People felt supported to make decisions about their daily lives.

People told us they knew how to complain and there was a policy and procedure in place. We saw that this was followed. Staff had received training in end of life care. Staff supported people to go out shopping and attend appointments when they needed to. Staff were aware of people's communication needs and how best to support them. People told us the service is flexible and responsive to their needs. One person said, “I am lucky enough and reduced my number of calls as got better and didn’t need as many.”

People told us the service was well managed. Staff told us they received staff newsletters and information was shared with them. There was a positive staff culture. We found the management team receptive to feedback and keen to improve the service. The registered manager worked with us in a positive manner and provided all the information we requested.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (13 July 2019) we found breaches at the last inspection in regulation 9 (person centred care) and regulation 17 (good governance). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.