Elmar Home Care

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.

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 knew what to do to promote people's safety and protect them from avoidable harm. Medicines were managed safely although one person raised concerns with us about how issues with timing of their calls affected the administration of their time critical medicine. Care records needed some additional information to help staff get to know and understand the person they were supporting. People did not always feel as though they had been supported in making decisions about their care or being involved in the care planning process. Staff knew what to do to make sure people's privacy and dignity needs were met.

We have made a recommendation in relation to managing consistency of staff and monitoring call times.

Right Culture: The providers governance systems required further development; audits were regularly completed; however, some improvements were needed to the audit system to make sure issues with care documentation, call times and other issues described to us by people who used the service, were addressed. The management team were proactive in addressing our feedback in relation to concerns people had raised with us and we acknowledge the disparity of feedback we received with feedback received by the service when they conducted their own telephone survey with people following our feedback to them. Further work was needed to make sure people felt empowered to have full involvement in their care. Staff received training in key areas before commencing employment. The provider evidenced oversight of staff's compliance with training. The providers recruitment systems were safe and the majority of staff felt well supported, valued and included in the service.