Social Care Academy Ltd improved from Requires Improvement to Good overall, with both Safe and Well-Led key questions rated Good following a focused inspection on 15 December 2022. The service demonstrated effective risk management, safe recruitment, good medicines administration, and strong leadership with improved governance systems since the previous inspection.
Strengths
· Risks associated with people's care and home environments were assessed and well managed, with regular reviews of risk assessments.
· Sufficient staff were in place to provide planned care calls, with an electronic monitoring system to identify late or missed calls.
· Staff were recruited safely with references and DBS checks completed.
· People received their medicines as prescribed, with staff completing training and competency assessments for medicines administration.
· Managerial oversight and quality monitoring systems had improved since the previous inspection, including checks of care records, staff competencies and call times.
First inspection of newly registered domiciliary care agency rated Requires Improvement overall, with shortfalls in risk assessment detail, recruitment timeliness and governance oversight. Effective, caring and responsive domains were rated Good, with the registered manager acknowledging issues and taking action.
Concerns (4)
moderateCare planning: “some risk assessments lacked, detailed guidance to inform staff how to support people safely. For example, when supporting a person, to use their walking frame, there was no information about what this support involved.”
moderateStaff competency: “Recruitment checks were not always completed in a timely manner, or in line with the providers policies... two members of staff had commenced work, without a risk assessment being completed, while waiting for all the necessary references being in place.”
moderateGovernance: “Although systems and audits were in place to drive improvements within the service, these were not being completed regularly. For example, audits of care records, which led to some, small delays in reviewing people's care”
moderateLeadership: “Where governance systems had identified concerns, action had not always been taken to resolve the issue, such as the pre-employment checks.”
Strengths
· Medicines administered safely by trained staff with competency assessments completed
· Staff received safeguarding training and understood reporting responsibilities
· Person-centred care with positive relationships between staff and people
· Staff promoted dignity, privacy and independence
· Effective working relationships with healthcare professionals such as GPs and social workers
Quality-Statement breakdown (18)
safe: Assessing risk, safety monitoring and managementNot rated
safe: Staffing and recruitmentNot rated
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuseNot rated
safe: Using medicines safelyNot rated
safe: Preventing and controlling infectionNot rated
safe: Learning lessons when things go wrongNot rated
effective: Assessing people's needs and choices; staff support: induction, training, skills and experienceNot rated
effective: Supporting people to eat and drink and access healthcare servicesNot rated
effective: Ensuring consent to care and treatment in line with law and guidanceNot rated
caring: Ensuring people are well treated and supported; respecting equality and diversityNot rated
caring: Supporting people to express their views and be involved in making decisions about their careNot rated
caring: Respecting and promoting people's privacy, dignity and independenceNot rated
responsive: Planning personalised care to ensure people have choice and controlNot rated
responsive: Meeting people's communication needsNot rated
responsive: Improving care quality in response to complaints or concernsNot rated
well-led: Managers and staff being clear about their roles, and understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirementsNot rated
well-led: Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empoweringNot rated
well-led: Duty of candour, continuous learning and working in partnership with othersNot rated