We carried out a review of the data available to us about Helping Hands North Norfolk on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Helping Hands North Norfolk, you can give feedback on this service.
Helping Hands North Norfolk is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care and support to people living in their own homes in the North Norfolk area. Not everyone who used the service received the regulated activity of personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care; this is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where people do we also consider any wider social care provided. Therefore, whilst the service currently supports over 28 people, only 12 of these were receiving personal care. This inspection therefore only focused on the service provided to these 12 people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The service’s registered manager had recently left and there was an interim management structure in place whilst a new manager was recruited. This included the frequent presence of an experienced registered manager from another branch. There were some shortfalls in the governance, quality assurance systems and organisation of the service which required improvement. Whilst this had not substantially impacted on the people using the service, it increased the risk of issues occurring. The interim management was already aware of many of the issues and was in the process of addressing them. Feedback from people and staff regarding the management team was that they were approachable, empathetic and supportive.
People were protected from abuse, neglect and discrimination. Staff ensured people's safety and acted when necessary to prevent any harm. We found initial care plans and risks assessments were thorough. People received their medicines according to prescriber's instructions. Recruitment practice ensured staff were of appropriate character to provide a professional and caring service. There was enough staff to provide the care, however some people told us there was inconsistency of staff visiting which impacted on the effectiveness and value of the relationships. The service had recently recruited additional staff to address this issue.
Staff received sufficient training and most people said staff were skilled in providing their care. We received mixed feedback regarding staff’s ability to care effectively for people living with dementia. Staff monitored people's health and helped them access health and social care services whenever needed. 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.
People told us the staff were kind, considerate and helpful. People felt staff promoted their dignity and maximised their independence. People were involved in their care planning and were always consulted prior to care-giving.
The care provided was personalised to meet individual needs and preferences. The service was usually able to respond quickly to changes but was not always good at reviewing care plans holistically. The service was quick to respond to complaints or concerns raised, took steps to disseminate lessons learnt and reflect on best practice.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 17 September 2018 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on our inspection schedule.
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.