Dion Care Services Limited, a small domiciliary care agency supporting 4 people, achieved an overall Good rating on its first inspection, with strengths in caring, responsive, and well-led domains. The Safe domain was rated Requires Improvement due to gaps in PRN medicines recording, insufficient detail in risk assessments, and incomplete recruitment checks, though the registered manager responded promptly to all feedback.
Concerns (5)
moderate
Record keeping
: “staff were not always recording which dosage had been given or why the person had requested the medicine...not always clear how much medicine the person had received”
moderateMedication management: “staff were not always documenting the support people received with their as and when required [PRN] medicines appropriately”
moderateStaff training: “staff did not always have a full employment history documented and references had not always been sought for applicant's previous care positions”
moderateCare planning: “some information about the risks associated with people's health conditions lacked detail and this meant staff may not have clear guidance to follow in case of an emergency”
minorConsent / capacity: “Where people were unable to sign due to their physical health, it was not always clear how their verbal consent had been documented.”
Strengths
· People told us staff were kind and caring, with comments including 'They are the best carers I've ever had'
· Small, consistent staff team who understood people's health conditions and individual preferences
· Provider responded promptly to inspection feedback, updating risk assessments and recruitment processes
· Staff received induction including Care Certificate and mandatory training relevant to their roles
· Provider regularly sought feedback from people and relatives to develop and improve the service
Quality-Statement breakdown (21)
safe: Staffing and recruitmentRequires improvement
safe: Using medicines safelyRequires improvement
safe: Assessing risk, safety monitoring and managementRequires improvement
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuseGood
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: Improving care quality in response to complaints or concernsGood
responsive: End of life care and supportNot rated
well-led: Managers and staff being clear about their roles, and understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirementsGood
well-led: Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empoweringGood
well-led: Working in partnership with others; Continuous learning and improving careGood