Individual Homecare Services

Individual Homecare Services is a care service which provides care for adults of all ages who may have dementia, mental health support needs, substance misuse problems, learning disability or autism, or a physical disability. We have assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.

We gave the provider notice of our inspection because we needed to ensure the registered manager would be available to meet with the inspector at the provider’s office.

A learning culture was evident, and people felt they could raise any concerns and the staff and management would listen. There were enough staff with the right skills, knowledge, and experience to meet people’s needs. We found some specific training and oversight for staff had not been kept updated. The provider acknowledged this and took immediate action to improve these areas. Staff confirmed they were able to directly approach the provider should they have any concerns relating to their training and oversight. Staff managed people’s prescribed medicines well.

Prior to starting with the service people's needs were assessed to determine whether the service could meet those needs. People and their relatives were involved with agreeing the level of care and support they would receive when they started to use the service. Care records contained detailed, person-centred guidance that enabled staff to respond to people's individual preferences. People were treated equally, without discrimination and systems were in place to support people who had communication needs. People were involved in decisions about their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff treated people as individuals and protected their privacy and dignity. Staff explained how they involved people in their care and support to ensure this matched with their personal preferences and routines.

Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and worked in partnership with other agencies to make sure people were encouraged to identify and achieve their goals. Staff protected people’s privacy and dignity. People received fair and equal care and treatment.

The provider and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. The registered manager was knowledgeable, treated staff fairly and respected their wellbeing. Governance systems were in place. Communication with people who used the service and staff was generally very positive.