Chiltern Health Division

Some notifications had not been submitted to CQC as required by law, and this was rectified during the inspection.

Quality assurance audits took place in most key areas of the service, and the provider introduced additional checks during the inspection to strengthen oversight further.

Staff understood safeguarding procedures. Safe recruitment practices were followed to ensure staff were suitable for their roles.

People normally received care from a consistent group of staff who arrived within a window of time and stayed for the duration of the call. Calls were monitored on a live system and regularly audited to identify and rectify any arising issues. People and their relatives were usually informed if carers were running late.

People were supported safely with their medicines and good infection control practices were in place.

Staff reported and followed up on accidents and incidents promptly. Lessons were learned when things went wrong, and learning was shared with the staff team to reduce the risk of the same thing happening again.

The provider and management team were proactive in their approach to ensuring people received high quality care. They were supportive of the inspection process and keen to drive continuous improvements to the service. A high majority of people were confident any arising problems or issues would be resolved in a timely manner.

Very positive feedback was received from professionals who worked with the service. The staff team felt supported and gave positive feedback about teamwork and working for Chiltern Health Division.

Staff understood and followed the principles of the Mental Capacity Act and sought consent, offered choice

and supported people make decisions about their care.

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.