20 August 2019
During a routine inspection
Beaminster Care at Home is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection the service provided personal care and support to 52 people living their own homes in the Beaminster and surrounding areas.
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 were supported by caring, motivated staff who knew everyone very well and treated people as individuals and with dignity and respect. People were cared for by a consistent staff team who had received appropriate training to carry out their roles.
The provider had robust recruitment systems to ensure staff were safely recruited. Staffing levels were appropriate to meet the needs of the people using the service. however, some people told us their visits were not always on time. The registered manager told us they were reviewing their policy with regard the time scale people could wait for support.
Staff spoke knowledgably about the systems in place to safeguard people from abuse. The provider had a training programme that ensured people received care from staff with the correct skills and knowledge. Staff received regular supervision and annual appraisals to ensure they were fully supported in their role.
The provider actively sought feedback from people about their care and acted on the feedback received. People told us they were aware of the complaints procedure and received good responses when they contacted the office. Staff communicated with people in a way they understood. This meant people had access to the information they needed to make decisions about their care.
People received their medicines on time and as prescribed. Staff understood the importance of infection prevention and control and wore protective equipment appropriately when supporting people. Learning from accidents and incidents was analysed and shared with the team to reduce the chance of them happening again.
The service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were supported to have maximum choice and control over 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.
Initial assessments were completed with people to establish whether the service would be able to meet their presenting needs. From the initial assessment a care plan was drawn up to show how people’s needs would be met by the service. People told us they had been involved in their assessments, and the reviews of their care plans.
Staff consistently demonstrated a kind and caring approach towards people. People’s privacy and dignity was supported at all times. People were supported by staff who were respectful and knew them well. People were encouraged to maintain their independence. People told us they felt respected by staff. One person said, “We respect them and they respect us.”
People we spoke with were very complimentary about the service and felt it was well led. The registered manager led by example, including working alongside staff. Staff felt included and encouraged to contribute their views and ideas.
The service worked alongside other providers in the local area and understood the importance and benefits to people of working closely with health professionals and did this to help maintain people’s health and well-being.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good ( published 2 February 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.