First Homecare - North London

Updated 24 January 2025

Date of Assessment: 31 January to 12 February 2025. The service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. They supported adults of all ages, which included providing live-in care. At the time of our inspection they were supporting 1 person with personal care. We identified 3 breaches of legal regulation in relation to safe care and treatment, consent and good governance. Risks to people were not always fully assessed and risk assessments were not fully completed. Care records were not always updated to provide staff with the most accurate information and guidance about people’s health conditions and care and support needs. People’s medicines were not always managed safely, and best practice guidance was not always being followed. People’s capacity to consent to care and support had not been assessed in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). The provider’s governance systems had not identified or addressed the areas of improvement we found during this inspection. However, people were treated with kindness and compassion from a staff team that knew them well and enabled continuity. Staff protected people’s privacy and dignity and promoted their independence. Staff responded to people in a timely manner and supported their preferences. People knew how to give feedback and were confident the service would take any complaints seriously. The service supported staff wellbeing and staff felt confident to speak up. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. Leaders were open to feedback for learning and improvement.

We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this inspection. We will meet with them to get an update on the improvements that have been made.

Updated 24 January 2025

The person’s relative was very positive about the care and support their family member received and spoke highly of the supportive and compassionate nature of staff across the service. They complimented the skills and experience of the care staff on how well engaged and patient they were when they provided care. Feedback confirmed the person, and their relatives felt safe with their care and staff had a good understanding of their needs. A relative said, “They certainly understand the risks, they know this very well. They are brilliant and we can’t fault them at all.” People and their relatives were fully involved in assessments of their needs. People received fair and equal care and treatment that also respected their religious and cultural needs. People and their relatives were encouraged to give feedback about their care and support to ensure it was meeting their needs. They also had a great deal of confidence in the management team and praised the culture of the service. Comments included, “They are open and honest, and we all get on well with them. They know the family well and we feel confident that we can contact them anytime and they would listen to us” and “We feel so lucky to have them and I would recommend them to anybody.” A relative also spoke positively about the provider’s digital system, where they could view daily log entries to see what care had been carried out. They added, “This gives us the reassurance when we are not around. We certainly have no concerns about their safety.”

While the person’s relatives expressed overall satisfaction with the care and treatment, our inspection found elements of care did not meet the expected standards.