Background to this inspection
Updated
19 May 2022
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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by one Inspector.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own home.
Registered Manager
This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 24 hours' notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small and we wanted to be sure the registered manager would be available when we visited.
Inspection activity started on 28 April 2022 and ended on 4 May 2022. We visited the location's office on 28 April 2022.
What we did before the inspection
We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed information we had received about the service since it registered with us. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We looked at two care plan records, policies, training data and quality assurance records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found. We spoke with two people, about their experience of the service. We spoke with two staff about working for the service.
Updated
19 May 2022
About the service
Salem Community Services Ltd is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own home. At the time of our inspection there were four people using the service.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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 told us they felt safe and were cared for and supported by a staff team that were caring and compassionate, and led by a motivated management team.
Staff understood how to recognise the signs of abuse and what action to take to protect people who used the service. The provider followed safe recruitment processes which included undertaking background checks on potential new staff before they started working for the service.
People were supported to manage and take their medicines safely where required. There were sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment, (PPE) and people confirmed staff wore this. Staff had received appropriate training including in infection control. The management team reviewed any accidents or incidents to identify any actions needed to keep people safe and reduce the risk of reoccurrence.
Risks to people had been assessed and were kept under review. People were involved in their care planning and encouraged to decide what care they wanted.
Staff completed an induction and ongoing training which enabled them to carry out their role effectively. Where people required support with their meals and drinks staff assisted them and understood people's individual nutritional needs and preferences.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of 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.
People told us they valued the service by staff and were treated with dignity and their rights to independence and privacy were respected. People gave us examples of how staff encouraged them to continue to be involved in their personal care, so their independence would be maintained.
There was a strong person-centred culture embedded within the service. Staff knew people well and had established positive relationships with them. Staff encouraged people to live as full a life as possible and assisted them to achieve the best possible outcomes. People received person-centred care which was tailored to meet their individual needs.
People were aware of the process to raise concerns or complaints and were confident they would be listened to.
People and staff told us the service was well led and managed effectively by a registered manager who was interested in their wellbeing and were approachable. Staff told us they felt supported to provide good care as the team worked well together, and staff morale was good.
People and their relatives were encouraged to provide feedback about the service they received. The registered manager and provider checked the quality and safety of the care provided. They used the findings from their checks and feedback from people, relatives and staff to drive improvements and to develop the service further.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
This service was registered with us on 2 July 2020 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This inspection was carried out because the service had not been inspected since it was registered.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.