Mayfair Homecare - Wycombe

Safeguarding processes and systems were in place to protect people from the risk of abuse and neglect. We found the service prioritised and effectively responded to safety concerns, and safe medicines practices were promoted. Staff understood their responsibilities to report any potential concerns for people’s health, safety and welfare. People felt safe and were supported to manage risks in their lives, assisted by staff who had access to personalised care plans and risk assessments. Staff told us they received training and support that equipped them effectively for their roles, however the feedback from people and relatives showed staff timekeeping and visit scheduling was not always consistent.

People's needs were assessed prior to the delivery of care and, where required, mental capacity assessments appropriately established whether people could make informed decisions about their care and support arrangements. The service encouraged people, their relatives and advocates to be part of processes to assess and review people’s care needs. This took a person-centred approach to explore people's views and wishes, including factors such as people's culture, communication needs, physical and psychological health needs.

Consistency of staff deployment encouraged staff to learn about people’s views, wishes and communication styles, to enable staff to understand people’s preferences and choices. Care plans recorded how staff should engage with people to encourage their independence and meet people’s communication needs. People and family feedback was variable about how consistently staff engaged with people, in areas such as encouraging independence. We also received positive feedback about staff approach.

Systems were in place to encourage feedback, such as via quality assurance questionnaires, care reviews and a complaints handling process. Staff told us there was an open culture where they felt able to share any concerns, and were confident the management team acted on feedback. People and families received information about how to share feedback, concerns or complaints. There was variable feedback from people about how effectively the service responded and communicated actions taken in response to feedback or care reviews. However, people and family feedback also indicated consistent staff deployment promoted positive experiences for people.

Effective governance systems and processes were in place to drive improvement and monitor the safety and quality of the service. Staff had a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities, and felt able to speak up and raise concerns if needed. The registered manager promoted a positive, open culture and staff reported feeling valued and supported.