Dignity Homecare (Yorkshire) Ltd

Dignity Homecare (Yorkshire) Ltd is a domiciliary care agency operating in the Barnsley area. The agency provides a range of support for people living in their own homes which includes personal care, social care and domestic assistance. At the time of our inspection 87 people were receiving regulated activity support from this provider.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

The service had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they felt safe with the staff who supported them. Staff understood their role and responsibilities to keep people safe from harm.

There were robust risk-specific assessments in place which identified risks and the measures put in place to minimise these; these also covered the environment in which people were supported.

There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs. There was a high level of consistency in the staff who attended each person. People told us they knew the staff who were supporting them.

Staff recruitment pre-employment checks had thoroughly been carried out.

People who were supported with medication had this administered safely, three-monthly observations of staff were carried out and records were audited monthly.

Staff had undertaken training on the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Staff were able to describe what this meant. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice

Care records showed people had consented to care and treatment. Staff told us how they would always ask for consent to care before assisting people.

New staff were supported in their role, which included training and shadowing a more experienced staff member until they felt confident. Staff undertook regular on-going training. Staff received regular supervisions, appraisals, observations and spot checks to assess their competency.

Staff gave examples of how they accessed and worked with relevant healthcare professionals when required.

People we spoke with told us staff were kind and caring. Staff treated them with respect and took appropriate steps to maintain people's dignity and privacy. People's private information was kept confidential.

People had a person-centred care plan in place which showed how they wished their care to be undertaken, their likes, dislikes, and preferences. This enabled staff to provide the care and support required by each individual.

There was a complaints process in place. People told us they felt confident of what to do if they had any concerns or complaints.

People told us the service was very well led and all talked about how well they knew the registered manager. They described how they were regularly asked for their input and feedback. Staff gave examples of how the registered manager responded positively to feedback. People spoke highly about the management of the service.

The manager described how the service worked in partnership with other organisations and healthcare professionals.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found