Archived: CorderCare Office

This announced inspection took place on 4 and 5 August 2016.

The service had a registered manager in place. 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.

The provider’s policy on administration and recording of medicines had been followed, which meant that people received their prescribed medicines. Audits had identified issues with medicines’ management and action had been taken.

People had their needs assessed and reviewed so that staff knew how to support them to maintain their independence. People’s care plans and risk assessments contained person- focussed information, and information was up to date and correct.

There was a sufficient number of staff available to ensure people’s needs were met safely. The risk of harm for people was reduced because staff knew how to recognise and report abuse. Staff were aware of the procedures for reporting concerns, systems were followed and concerns were investigated.

Staff were only employed after the provider had carried out comprehensive and satisfactory pre-employment checks. Staff were well supported by the registered manager and senior staff through supervisions and staff meetings.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and report on what we find. We found that staff were trained in the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and could describe how people were supported to make decisions.

People received care and support from staff who were kind, caring and respectful to them. Staff treated people with dignity and respected their privacy.

People knew how to make a complaint. The provider investigated any complaints and as a result made changes to improve the service.

The service had an effective quality assurance system in place. People and relatives were encouraged to provide feedback on the service and their views were listened to and acted on.

SUMMARY

We considered all the evidence we had gathered under the outcomes we inspected. We used the information to answer the five questions we always ask;

' Is the service safe?

' Is the service effective?

' Is the service caring?

' Is the service responsive?

' Is the service well led?

Below is a summary of what we found. It is based on our observations during the inspection, speaking with people who used the service, the staff supporting them and from looking at a range of records.

Is the service safe?

People were protected from the risk of abuse as staff had been trained in how to recognise and report abuse and there were clear procedures for staff to follow in relation to protecting vulnerable adults. There were detailed risks assessments in place which provided good guidance for staff of how to protect people from potential harm. Accidents and incidents were well recorded and analysed closely to identify any common themes.

Robust measures were in place to record financial transactions undertaken by staff on behalf of people. People's medicines were managed well so that they were supported to receive them safely.

The service had robust recruitment practices to ensure that only the right staff were employed to look after vulnerable people.

Is the service effective?

People we spoke with expressed high levels of satisfaction with the service they received from CorderCare. People appreciated the reliability of the service and the consistency of its staff.

Staff had a good understanding of the needs of people who used the service and had received relevant and appropriate training and support to ensure they delivered effective and person centred care. Care plans provided comprehensive guidance for staff about how people's needs should be met and these had been reviewed regularly to ensure that important information about people was kept up to date.

Is the service caring?

People we spoke with reported that staff treated them with respect and compassion and understood their needs well. People told us that information about them was treated in confidence and that staff never talked about other people they supported.

In interviews with staff we found they demonstrated a caring, respectful and thoughtful attitude to the people they supported. Others shared our view and one district nurse reported, 'Joanne (the manager) in particular has a wonderful, warm and genuinely caring attitude'.

The service liaised effectively with health and social care professionals to ensure that people's welfare was maintained.

Is the service responsive?

People we spoke with told us that their care givers had never missed a visit, were very rarely late and always stayed for the full amount of time. They also told us that staff were always willing to go the extra mile to deal with a crisis. One person told us that when her husband had had an unexpected fall, she rang the service, and within ten minutes the deputy manager came to help.

We found that people's concerns and complaints were recorded and responded to effectively, and then used to improve the service for people.

Is the service well-led?

There was effective management in place which ensured the delivery of person-centred care, supported staff learning and development, and which promoted an open culture. It was clear that the managers were committed to providing a first class service.

Staff we spoke with expressed high levels of satisfaction with their job and the support they received from their managers. Staff were committed to, and enthusiastic about their work and told us they received good support and supervision.

We spoke with health and social care professionals who knew the service. One district nurse told us, 'It's the only care agency I would recommend to anyone, I can't speak highly enough of them, they are totally reliable and very patient centred'. One social worker told us, 'I find the manager so helpful and she keeps me up to date with what's going on. She communicates very well'.

There were good quality assurance systems in place that were used to drive continuous improvement. The provider had systems for gathering people's views of the service they received and for monitoring its quality.

We found that the provider was compliant in all outcome areas we assessed. It was clear from all the people we spoke with and the evidence we reviewed that this was a well-managed and reliable service.