Helping Hands Wantage received a Good rating across all five key questions at its first inspection in September 2022, with people and relatives reporting safe, personalised and dignified care delivered by well-trained staff. Minor issues were noted around occasional reliance on office staff for care calls, inconsistent food and drink recording, and one staff member's uncertainty about reporting abuse directly to the local authority.
Concerns (4)
minor
Staffing levels
: “we found this often-included office staff who provided care for some calls in the morning. One relative we spoke with felt the care company was sometimes "understaffed and overwhelmed".”
minorStaff competency: “we also heard, "The carers are not well trained in dealing with dementia".”
minorRecord keeping: “some people's records contained more detail than others and did not always specify what the person had eaten.”
minorSafeguarding: “They were not always aware that incidents of potential abuse or neglect should be reported to the local authority.”
Strengths
· People felt safe and relatives praised staff knowledge of individual needs and routines, with no missed visits reported.
· Robust recruitment processes including DBS checks, references and right-to-work verification were in place.
· Monthly medicine audits and competency spot checks ensured safe medication administration.
· Staff received induction, Care Certificate training, mandatory training and regular supervision.
· Personalised care plans reflected individual preferences, communication needs and personal histories.
Quality-Statement breakdown (24)
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuseGood
safe: Assessing risk, safety monitoring and managementGood
safe: Staffing and recruitmentGood
safe: Using medicines safelyGood
safe: Preventing and controlling infectionGood
safe: Learning lessons when things go wrongGood
effective: Assessing people's needs and choices; delivering care in line with standards, guidance and the lawGood
effective: Staff support: induction, training, skills and experienceGood
effective: Supporting people to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced dietGood
effective: Staff working with other agencies to provide consistent, effective, timely careGood
effective: Ensuring consent to care and treatment in line with law and guidanceGood
caring: Ensuring people are well treated and supported; respecting equality and diversityGood
caring: Supporting people to express their views and be involved in making decisions about their careGood
caring: Respecting and promoting people's privacy, dignity and independenceGood
responsive: Planning personalised care to ensure people have choice and control and to meet their needs and preferencesGood
responsive: Meeting people's communication needsGood
responsive: Supporting people to develop and maintain relationships to avoid social isolationGood
responsive: Improving care quality in response to complaints or concernsGood
responsive: End of life care and supportGood
well-led: Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empoweringGood
well-led: How the provider understands and acts on the duty of candourGood
well-led: Managers and staff being clear about their roles, and understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirementsGood
well-led: Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staffGood
well-led: Continuous learning and improving care; Working in partnership with othersGood