Chamomile Care Ltd, a small domiciliary care agency supporting nine people, was rated Good overall at its first inspection with an Outstanding rating in Caring. Inspectors found exceptionally compassionate, person-centred support, safe medicines and recruitment practices, and well-led governance with no breaches identified.
Strengths
· Exceptionally caring, person-centred culture with staff going above and beyond (e.g. purchasing a mobility aid so a person could attend a family wedding)
· Strong end of life care delivered in conjunction with health professionals, ensuring pain relief and comfort at home
· Safe medicines management with competency checks and audits by the registered manager
· Robust staffing and recruitment, with no missed calls and an electronic system flagging overdue calls
· Staff well supported through training, induction, supervision and accreditation as an 'Oxford Living Wage' employer
Quality-Statement breakdown (21)
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; working with other agencies; access to healthcareGood
effective: Ensuring consent to care and treatment in line with law and guidanceGood
caring: Supporting people to express their views and be involved in making decisions about their careOutstanding
caring: Respecting and promoting people's privacy, dignity and independenceOutstanding
caring: Ensuring people are well treated and supported; respecting equality and diversityOutstanding
responsive: Planning personalised care to ensure people have choice and control and to meet their needs and preferencesGood
responsive: End of life care and supportGood
responsive: Improving care quality in response to complaints or concernsGood
responsive: Meeting people's communication needsGood
well-led: Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empoweringGood
well-led: Managers and staff being clear about their roles; understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirements; continuous learningGood
well-led: Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staff; working in partnership with othersGood
well-led: How the provider understands and acts on the duty of candourGood