Peak Care Homecare

The service had been rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ at their previous inspection (report published on 28 September 2022). This inspection was prompted in part due to concerns we had received about the management of the service. We also carried out this inspection to check whether the necessary improvements had been made since our last inspection. The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to good governance. Improvements were found at this inspection, and the provider was no longer in breach of this regulation.

This unannounced inspection was carried out by two inspectors. One inspector carried out the site visit to the provider’s premises, and the second inspector contacted people’s relatives to obtain their feedback on how the service was operating. We also received feedback from 9 of the provider’s care staff.

The provider did not have a registered manager at the time of the inspection. The day-to-day management of the service was being carried out by the Nominated Individual. A Nominated Individual is a key figure in the structure of a care organisation, acting as the principal contact between the care provider and the Care Quality Commission.
At the time of this inspection 14 people were supported in their own flats at the supported living site. However, only 6 people received the regulated activity of personal care. The regulated activity involves providing personal care for people who are unable to provide it for themselves because of old age, illness or disability. We therefore only reviewed the specific care plans relating to those 6 people, but we did inspect the general staffing, and management arrangements in place.

The provider had a learning culture, and people could raise concerns with them. The provider investigated incidents thoroughly. Staff understood and managed risks well when they visited people. Although the provider had recently needed to rely on some regular agency care staff to maintain their staffing levels, there were enough staff with the right skills, knowledge, and experience to meet people’s care needs. Staff had received relevant training. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. Staff managed people’s prescribed medicines well.

People, and their families where appropriate, were involved in deciding how they individually received care. People’s person-centred care plans and risk assessments took account of their individual communication needs as well as their personal care and health care needs. Staff monitored people’s health, where required, to encourage healthy living. The provider made sure people understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent. The provider ensured an appropriate best interest decision making process was followed where people did not have the capacity to make decisions for themselves.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff treated people as individuals and protected their privacy and dignity.

The provider had been working hard to maintain consistent care and support for people, despite a recent decrease in staff numbers. The provider told us they would appoint a new manager who would register with the Care Quality Commission and was working to create a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning, and trust.

The provider collaborated with the community healthcare teams to ensure people received consistent and effective healthcare support. There was a culture of continuous improvement and of learning lessons from incidents to help reduce reoccurrences.