Archived: Pulse - Liverpool

Updated 29 November 2016

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

We inspected the service against two of the five questions we ask about services: is the service safe and well-led. This is because we had received some concerns about how people care and support was planned and delivered. Where concerns had been raised in relation to safeguarding people, these concerns had been forwarded to the local authority, the lead agency in managing safeguarding concerns. At the time of this visit these concerns were in the process of being investigated.

The inspection was carried out by two adult social care inspectors.

Prior to the inspection, we reviewed any information and notifications that we had received about the service. During our visit to the service we looked at a number of documents, policies and procedures in relation to the safe planning of people’s care and support. This included three people’s care planning documents and associated records. This information was brought to the office. The registered manager was not working within the service on the day that we visited. However, the area manager and two other staff supported us with our inspection.

Updated 29 November 2016

This was an unannounced inspection carried out on the 19 September 2016.

Pulse Liverpool is registered to provide personal care to adults and children in their own homes. There were 10 people using the service at the time of this inspection. Each person was in receipt of a bespoke care package which involved a team of staff delivering care and support in people’s homes and within the community. The service is based in an office on the first floor of a building. The office is accessible via a passenger lift and accessible toilet facilities are available.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 18 August 2015. After that inspection we received concerns in relation to how people’s care was planned for and delivered. As a result we undertook a focused inspection to look into those concerns. This report only covers our findings in relation to those/this topic. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Pulse Liverpool on our website at www.cqc.org.uk”

Systems were in place to regularly audit people’s care plans and the quality of service people received. We have made a recommendation in this report that the registered provider further develops this process to include the quality of the records maintained. This is because we found that the content and language in some daily record entries needed improvement.

People’s needs were assessed and planned for. Each person had their own care planning documents that detailed what support they required and how staff were to deliver the support. Care planning information was reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that up to date information about a person’s needs was available at all times.

Where potential risks had been identified, assessment of these risks took place and wherever possible, action was taken to minimise the risk from occurring. Action plans had been developed to help ensure that in the event of an emergency, for example a power cut, people’s needs could be safely met.

People were supported by a team of staff who had received specific training for their role. This enabled people’s care and support to be delivered safely.

Regular multi-disciplinary meeting took place between the service and other healthcare professionals and agencies involved in people’s care. This helped ensure that important information about people’s needs was shared.

Policies and procedures were in place to offer guidance and support to the staff team. This meant that staff knew how to support people in a safe, respectful manner.

The registered manager liaised on a regular basis with other healthcare professionals to ensure that people received the care and support they required.