Westminster Homecare Limited – Independent Living Network

Some risks to people had not been documented and some quality assurance processes were not as effective as they could have been. This meant there was a risk of missing opportunities to make improvements and prevent any incidents reoccurring. No person had been harmed but this put people at risk of harm.

The regional director and deputy manager addressed these matters promptly, but until we highlighted these, actions had not been taken. Staff however were clear on how to safely support people with eating and drinking safely, and how time specific medicines had been correctly administered.

Right support Staff complied with measures designed to reduce the risk of infections spreading, and focused on people's strengths and promoted what they could do, enabling the opportunity for people to lead fulfilling and meaningful lives. A person told us how careful staff were to always use the correct personal protective equipment (PPE), washing their hands and safely disposing of PPE.

Staff supported people with equipment to keep them safe by using an appropriate number of suitably

skilled staff. A staff member said, "I see [person] being able to live at home with reasonable adjustments and the right equipment. It means a lot to them having more independence."

Staff received effective training in the use of restraint and were confident in their ability to deploy this training should it ever be needed. At the time of our inspection, where people needed restraint, such as with medicines, this was appropriately authorised, and only used in an emergency situation, as a last resort, and for the shortest time possible.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Right Care Staff focused on and promoted people's equality and diversity, supporting, and responding well to their individual needs. This changed people's lives for the better. A person said, "I feel safe when out [in the community], as staff are very good to me. I take all my [medicines] morning and night and staff watch me to make sure I haven't dropped any." A relative told us how much more their family member could now do and how well staff understood their communications in ensuring the person was given equal opportunities.

People or their legal representative helped create and review their care plans when they chose to, and as such were a reflection of the support they needed and what people could do independently. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and had the skills to help protect people from poor care and abuse, or the risk of this happening.

The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people's needs and keep them safe. All those we spoke with felt people were safe and had enough support to do this. People were supported to communicate in their preferred way including a few words and visual prompts.

People received care that supported their needs and aspirations, was focused on their quality of life, and followed best practice. A relative told us the service always strove to improve the quality of people's lives and said, "[Staff] have transformed my [family member's] life. Now they live in their own home. This has given them the confidence to keep growing with independence."

Right Culture People were supported by staff who understood best practice in relation to people's strengths, impairments, or sensitivities for people with a learning disability and/or autistic people may have. A relative told us the service had made a huge difference to their family member saying that although their family member needed a lot of support around their needs, staff were quick to make healthcare referrals for support when needed, meaning the person was eating more healthily.

Staff put people's wishes, needs and rights at the heart of everything they did. People, relatives, staff, and health professionals had a say in how the service was run. The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensured people using the service led confident, inclusive and empowered lives.

For more information, please read the detailed findings section of this report. If you are reading this as a separate summary, the full report can be found on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk