Archived: Care Wish Ltd

Updated 3 July 2015

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 1 May 2015 and was announced. The inspection was carried out by one inspector. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provided a domiciliary care service. The provider can often be out of the office supporting staff and we needed to ensure that someone would be in.

We looked at information we held on the service and spoke to a representative from the local authority. We also looked at notifications received from the service about accidents and incidents and safeguarding alerts which they are required to send us by law.

We spoke with the registered manager and the care co-ordinator at the service. We looked at the care records of five people to see how their care was planned. We also looked at four staff files, staff rotas, medication records, a number of policies and procedures, handover and communication records, complaints and compliments, quality assurance audits, accident and incident recordings and minutes of staff and management meetings. We spoke by telephone with seven people who used the service, three relatives and four members of staff.

Updated 3 July 2015

The inspection took place on 1 May 2015 and was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice that we would be visiting the service. This was because the service provides domiciliary care and we wanted to make sure staff would be available. The last inspection of the service took place on 18 February 2014 there were no breaches of regulations.

Care Wish is a domiciliary care agency registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. The service currently provides care and support for 22 people who range in age, gender and disability.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

People told us that they felt safe when staff entered their home and that the staff knew how to support them. Staff were able to describe in detail the needs of the people they provided care for and their roles and responsibilities in respect of keeping people safe. Staff were aware of the risks to people and these risks were reviewed on a regular basis.

People received their care on time and if staff were occasionally running late, people were always notified of this. Attempts were made to ensure that where possible, people received care from the same member of staff to ensure consistency, although it was acknowledged that this was not always possible.

Appropriate recruitment processes were in place in order to reduce the risk of unsuitable people being employed by the service.

Staff were provided with the training and information required in order to support people to take their medicines safely.

Staff knew people’s healthcare needs and supported them to access their GP or other healthcare services if they were feeling unwell.

People told us that they were supported by staff who were kind and caring and willing to go out of their way to help them. Families told us they were always kept informed of what was happening with their relatives and that the care provided by the service had given them reassurances that their relative was safe.

People told us that staff sought their consent before they provided care. The registered manager and staff all had an understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and care records reflected this.

People were involved in the development of their care plans to ensure that they received their care in the way they wanted. Staff were aware of people’s specific care needs and the way they wished to be supported. Arrangements were made for staff to be introduced to people prior to them providing care and support, in order for them to get to know each other.

People were aware of how to complain about the service if they needed to and any complaints received were responded to promptly, investigated and recorded.

People, their families and staff all spoke positively about the registered manager and the care co-ordinator. Staff were well supported in their role and felt able to approach management with any issues or concerns.

There were good communication systems in place to ensure all staff, including the registered manager, were aware of the needs of the people they provide care for and any possible changes in their care needs.

A new software system was in place to assist the registered manager in monitoring call delivery and ensuring that people received care from staff who had the relevant skills and experience to meet their particular needs.