ReadyCQC, a weekly field guide to CQC home-care regulation

Inspection report · 2019-09-11

Framework: KLOE · 17 pages · 80 KB · PDF

Requires improvement

safe: Requires improvementeffective: Goodcaring: Goodresponsive: Goodwell-led: Requires improvement

Personal Home Care Services Ltd received an overall rating of Requires Improvement at its first inspection in July 2019, with three regulatory breaches identified covering unsafe medicines documentation, inadequate recruitment checks, and ineffective governance and record-keeping. The service demonstrated strengths in its caring approach, staff training, and partnership working, with Effective, Caring, and Responsive domains all rated Good.

Concerns (6)

criticalMedication management: “The 'cream charts' used were not robust to accurately document administration. The service was not following the provider's medicine policies and PRN protocols were not in place.”
criticalRecord keeping: “Improvement was required with record keeping as various records did not contain accurate dates. For example, staff interview records did not specify the dates they were conducted.”
criticalStaffing levels: “DBS checks were not confirmed for the three members of staff until after they started their roles. References were not obtained for two staff members from their previous employers.”
criticalGovernance: “The provider had ineffective governance arrangements and failed to maintain accurate complete and contemporaneous records. No audit process was in place for prescribed cream records.”
moderateCare planning: “Risk assessments were limited and did not look at areas such as moving and handling and nutrition and hydration.”
minorEnd-of-life care: “People did not have the option to disclose and record their end of life wishes as part of their care planning.”

Strengths

· Staff were described as kind, courteous and sensitive, with people expressing high trust in their carers.
· Staffing levels were consistent and people confirmed carers arrived on time.
· Staff received appropriate safeguarding training and understood how to raise concerns.
· People were involved in care planning and their views were sought through surveys and regular contact.
· The service worked collaboratively with social workers and other health professionals to meet people's needs.

Quality-Statement breakdown (20)

safe: Staffing and recruitmentRequires improvement
safe: Using medicines safely; assessing risk, safety monitoring and managementRequires improvement
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuse; learning lessons when things go wrongGood
safe: Preventing and controlling infectionGood
effective: Staff support: induction, training, skills and experienceGood
effective: Assessing people's needs and choices; delivering care in line with standards, guidance and the lawGood
effective: Supporting people to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced dietGood
effective: Staff working with other agencies to provide consistent, effective, timely care

Inspection reports (2)