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.
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Inspection team
The inspection site visit was carried out by 1 inspector. An Expert by Experience also supported the inspection by contacting people, and their relatives, by phone, to obtain feedback on the service people received. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
Registered Manager
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
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 registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
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 also used information previously gathered as part of monitoring activity which took place on 6 September 2023. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 4 people and 10 family members of people who use the service. We spoke with the registered manager and administrator at the provider’s office. We received feedback from 13 care staff. We reviewed 3 staff recruitment files and elements of 4 people’s care plans and risk assessments. We reviewed various care records and copies of the provider’s policies and procedures. We also received feedback from an external social care professional who had regular contact with the service.