New York Care Limited t/a Home Instead Senior Care

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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's experience of using this service and what we found: People continued to receive an extremely caring service from staff who were very motivated to deliver a highly compassionate, high-quality service. Care staff were very sensitive to people's needs and treated them with the upmost dignity and respect. Staff built positive, trusting relationships with the people they cared for and were also very sensitive to the needs of the whole family. There was a very strong focus on staff support and well-being, which helped promote a positive, person-centred culture and motivated the staff team. Staff went above and beyond to meet people's needs and fulfil their wishes.

There were enough staff to provide a consistent, reliable service. Staff assessed and mitigated risks to people's safety and wellbeing. People received their medicines as prescribed.

People received care from staff who were well trained and knowledgeable. Where it was part of people's care package, staff prepared meals and drinks to support people in maintaining a good diet. Staff were proactive in promoting good nutrition and hydration. Staff were attentive to changes in people's health and wellbeing, and worked well with healthcare professionals to ensure people's holistic needs were met.

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. Staff sought people's consent and were very respectful of people's choices and wishes.

People had a comprehensive care plan with information about their needs and preferences, so staff knew how to support them. Staff were responsive to changes in people's needs and adapted their supported accordingly. People received support to access social and leisure opportunities. The provider had been proactive in encouraging people to re-build their confidence in going out in the community again following the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

Staff provided compassionate end of life care. They built positive relationships with specialist services to access advice, practical support and keep up to date with best practice.

People, their relatives and external professionals were very satisfied with the service. There was a clear

emphasis on continual improvement, and the provider had invested in a number of new systems since our last inspection. The provider had a quality assurance system, which included promptly checking and reviewing all care and medicine records. This system was generally robust, but we found some areas which could be more effective. This included identifying and addressing some recording issues in relating to the Mental Capacity Act and medicines.

The provider was very proactive in working with other agencies and stakeholders, for the benefit of people using the service and the wider community. This included participating in research projects and sharing information, resources and best practice.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.