Local Homecare

Local Homecare is a domiciliary care agency. The service provides personal care to people in their own homes in the community. At the time of our inspection there were 36 people using the service.

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.

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

People and their relatives told us they felt safe using the service. People's needs were thoroughly assessed to ensure safe and effective care. There were enough staff available to meet people's needs. People and their relatives told us staff arrived at the scheduled time and stayed for the specified period. The provider had a robust recruitment process to ensure suitable staff were employed. People were supported to take their medicines safely. Staff followed the correct infection control practices.

New staff received a comprehensive induction programme and all staff had completed a range of training which gave them the skills and knowledge to care for people in their own homes. 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.

The service was well managed. The registered manager was knowledgeable and responsive to feedback about the service. Governance systems were in place to ensure all aspects of the service were reviewed and checked regularly. However, systems to monitor accidents and incidents and lessons learnt required review.

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 (published 18 February 2020).

At our last inspection we found two breaches of regulation in relation to medicines and good governance. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to tell us what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was now meeting both of these regulations.

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services which have had a recent Direct Monitoring Approach (DMA) assessment where no further action was needed to seek assurance about this decision and to identify learning about the DMA process.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Kare Plus Leeds is a domiciliary care agency providing support to people in their own homes in the community. 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. At the time of the inspection the service was providing personal care to five people.

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

The systems in place to manage medicines were not always safe which placed people at risk of not receiving their medicines as prescribed. The manager recognised improvements were needed and was taking action to address the issues we raised.

There was a lack of quality assurance systems to monitor and check service delivery and those that were in place were not always effective. The manager told us they were taking action to address these matters.

People and relatives were happy with the care provided. They were involved in planning and making decisions about their care. Risks were assessed and managed. People’s nutritional and healthcare needs were met. Staffing was organised to make sure people received their calls on time and staff stayed the full length of the call.

People and relatives said the staff were kind and caring. People received support from regular care staff who knew them well. Support plans showed the support people needed on each call, although one person’s plans needed updating. People were treated with respect and their privacy and dignity was maintained.

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.

Staff were recruited safely, although references were not always obtained from the last employer. Staff received the induction, training and support they needed to fulfil their role. Safe systems were in place to manage any allegations of abuse and complaints.

The provider had been managing the service since November 2019 and a new manager had just started in post when we carried out the inspection. Both were aware improvements to the service were needed and demonstrated their commitment to making this happen. Staff said they had noted improvements since November 2019 and felt better supported. Survey feedback from people and relatives also showed an increase in satisfaction in the last three months.

We identified two breaches of regulation in relation to medicines and good governance. You can see what action we have told the provider to take at the end of the full version of this report.

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 22 January 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection.

Follow up

We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.