CREATIVE CARE HOME LIMITED

CREATIVE CARE HOME LIMITED is a domiciliary care service registered to provide personal care to adults in their own homes. At the time of our inspection 2 people received support with personal care. During the assessment, 3 regulatory breaches in respect of safe care and treatment including medicines, staffing and governance were identified.

The assessment and planning of people’s care did not always adhere to best practice guidance. Some people had individual risks associated with falls, skin integrity, nutrition, mobility and moving and handling. No adequate assessment of these risks had been completed which meant staff lacked accurate and sufficient information on how to mitigate these risks and provide safe care. Guidance in place for the use of moving and handling equipment had not always been followed which placed people at risk of avoidable harm. Risks in the person’s home environment had also not been assessed.

Medicines were not managed safely. Best practice guidance issued by The Royal Pharmaceutical Society, CQC and the National Institute of Heath and Care Excellence (NICE), was not followed. Records were poorly maintained and showed gaps in the administration of some medicines. Staff had not always completed training in medicines administration prior to taking on this responsibility and competency checks on staff practice were not robust. There were no systems in place to check medicines were given correctly.

Staff were recruited safely to ensure they were safe to work with vulnerable people. Staff had prior experience of working in a care setting however staff including the registered manager had not fully completed the provider’s mandatory training programme before providing one to one care to people. This meant the provider could not be assured their skills and competencies were up to date and sufficient to provide safe and effective care.

Governance required improvement. There was a lack of appropriate checks on the quality and safety of the service and policies in relation to the delivery of the service were not always followed. This meant shortfalls in the assessment, planning, delivery of people’s care, medicines management, staff training and leadership had not been picked up and addressed to ensure regulatory responsibilities were fully met. We discussed these concerns with the provider and registered manager. They were receptive to our feedback and committed to making improvements to the service.

The culture of the service was open, transparent and it was clear the provider, registered manager and staff genuinely cared for the people they supported. People experienced person centred care which placed their needs, wishes and preferences at the forefront of their support. People and relatives were involved in planning and deciding upon how they wanted their support to be provided, and these choices were respected. This showed people were listened to, involved with and in control of their own care. Formal reviews of people’s care however did not always take place which meant care information was not always fully up to date.

No safeguarding events, accident or incidents had occurred at the service. Referrals to other health and social care professionals to support people’s needs were made appropriately when required. People’s care was well co-ordinated, joined up and people’s home visits were regular, consistent and provided by familiar staff who knew people well. This was good practice and promoted positive outcomes in people’s health and wellbeing. People were supported with nutrition and hydration in support of healthier lives.