Updated 15 September 2022
The inspection
We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.
Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.
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 and various healthcare treatments to people living in their own houses, flats or in another care providers service, such as a care 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 four days’ notice of the inspection because some of the people using it could not consent to telephone calls from inspectors. This meant that we had to arrange for a ‘best interests’ decision about this and who was best placed to speak on the person's behalf, such as a parent or court appointed deputy. Inspection activity started on 23 August 2022 and ended on 30 August 2022.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority, clinical commissioning group (CCG), three healthcare professionals and people's legal representatives.
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 reviewed incidents reported to us involving safeguarding. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We used technology such as video and telephone calls, written and verbal feedback to enable us to engage with people using the service and staff. We used electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation.
Our inspection activity began on 23 when we spoke with staff and two relatives and health professionals about their experience of the care provided. We also spoke with another registered manager of a care home where one person lived about joined up working. We spoke with the registered manager on 24 August 2022 about the service they provided and to agree all documentation that we required to be submitted to CQC for review.
Between 23 August 2022 and 30 August 2022, we reviewed two people’s care records, risk assessments, treatment plans, four staff files and a variety of other assurance records and policies. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager and support workers. We communicated with three professionals involved in people's treatments. We also received feedback from a private speech and language therapist and physiotherapist.
After the inspection
We continued to clarify information with the registered manager. We gave feedback to the registered manager about the inspection on 30 August 2022.