Archived: Homecare Malvern

Updated 1 July 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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.

This was an announced comprehensive inspection completed on 1 June 2017 by one inspector. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

We asked the local authority if they had any information to share with us about the services provided at the home. The local authorities are responsible for monitoring the quality and funding for people who use the service. Additionally, we asked Healthwatch if they had any information to share with us. Healthwatch are an independent consumer champion, who promotes the views and experiences of people who use health and social care.

We looked at the information we held about the service and the provider. We looked at statutory notifications that the provider had sent us. Statutory notifications are reports that the provider is required by law to send to us, to inform us about incidents that have happened at the service, such as an accident or a serious injury.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We spoke with five people, and three relatives. We spoke with seven staff and the manager.

We also spoke a social worker who regularly supported people at the service. We looked at four records about people’s care, including their medicine records. We also looked at complaint files, minutes of meetings with staff. We looked at quality checks on aspects of the service which the manager and provider completed.

Updated 1 July 2017

We undertook an announced inspection on 1 June 2017.

We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of our intention to undertake an inspection. This was because the organisation provides a domiciliary care service to people in their homes; we needed to be sure that someone would be available at the office. Homecare Malvern is a domiciliary care agency who provide personal care and support for people living in the community with a range of needs. At the time of our inspection 15 people received support with personal care.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

There was a manager in post who was in the process of applying to be the registered manager for this service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered providers and registered managers 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 we spoke with said they had support from regular staff who knew them well. Staff we spoke with recognised the different types of abuse. There were systems in place to guide staff in reporting any concerns. Staff were knowledgeable about how to manage people’s individual risks, and were able to respond to peoples’ needs. People were supported to receive their medicines by trained staff who knew the risks associated with them.

Staff had up to date knowledge and training to support people. Staff always ensured people gave their consent to the support they received. People we spoke with explained they were supported to make their own decisions and felt listened to by staff. People were supported to eat and drink well when part of their identified needs. People and their relatives told us staff would support them to access health professionals when they need to.

People and their relatives said staff and management team were caring and kind. They said people were treated with dignity and respect, and encouraged them to be as independent as possible. People said they were involved in making choices about how they were supported. Relatives told us they were involved as part of the team to support their family member.

People said staff were adaptable to changes in their needs. People and their relatives knew how to raise complaints and the management team had arrangements in place to ensure people were listened to and appropriate action taken. Staff were involved in meetings, to share their views and concerns about the quality of the service. People and staff said the management team were accessible and supportive to them.

The management team monitored the quality of the service in an inclusive way. The manager was cultivating a culture of openness and inclusion for people using the service and staff. The management team had systems in place to identify improvements and action them in a timely way.