In Caring Hands St Austell

Updated 17 June 2021

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type

In Caring Hands is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at on this inspection. This service is also a domiciliary care agency and provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We met briefly with two people who used the service. We spoke with the registered and assistant managers and two care staff.

We reviewed three people’s care records. We looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies, procedures and staff training and recruitment records.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We reviewed the additional documentation we had requested from the registered manager. We spoke with eight healthcare professionals who worked with the service and six relatives.

Updated 17 June 2021

About the service

In Caring Hands is a care home that provides short-term respite care for up to four younger adults who live with their families in the community, as well as short-term care to support people who are transitioning from children to adult care services. The building is a bungalow in a residential street in St Austell, close to local amenities and shops. People using the service have a diagnosis of a profound and multiple learning disability. This includes sensory or physical disability and complex health needs.

The service is also a domiciliary care service that provides personal care and support to some people, who use the respite service, when they are living at home in the community. At the time of this inspection three people were using the respite service and two people the domiciliary care service.

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

People were supported to be as independent as possible and have control over their lives. People's dignity was respected, and staff encouraged and supported people to make decisions and choices about how they spent their time.

Care plans were accurate and kept under regular review, with the involvement of the person and their family. They provided staff with comprehensive guidance to ensure people’s needs were met. Risks were identified and staff had clear instructions to help them support people to reduce the risk of avoidable harm.

Staff were recruited safely. The service had continued to recruit throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure there were enough staff to cover for sickness or for staff who needed to shield or self-isolate. Staff were supported by a system of induction, training, supervisions, appraisals and staff meetings. Staff were appropriately trained, and their competency regularly checked, to administer people’s medicines and carry out specific tasks to ensure people’s complex health needs were met.

Cleaning and infection control procedures had been updated in line with COVID-19 guidance to help protect people, visitors and staff from the risk of infection. Bedrooms were deep cleaned between each respite stay. Government guidance about COVID-19 testing for people, staff and visitors was being followed.

People’s relatives and staff told us management were approachable and they listened to them when they had any concerns or ideas. All feedback was used to make continuous improvements to the service.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

The Right support:

The model of care and setting maximised people’s choice, control and independence. Staff supported people to make choices about their daily lives and engage in activities that they enjoyed and promoted their independence.

Right care:

People received good quality person-centred care that promoted their dignity, privacy and human rights. Each person had a member of staff specifically allocated to support them for each shift during their respite stay. Staff knew people well and understood their individual ways of communicating which meant people received care that was individualised to their needs and wishes.

Right culture:

While on respite stay people lived in a service where the ethos, values, attitudes of the management team and care staff ensured people led confident, inclusive and empowered lives. Staff created an environment that inspired people to understand and achieve their goals and ambitions.

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

This service was registered with us on 29/04/2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.