As of April 2009 the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) became the Care Quality Commission (CQC). With this change, came the new national minimum standards which were renamed “Essential Standards of Quality and Safety“.
The Care Quality Commission regulate all of adult health and social care services and make sure that the care that people receive meets the essential standards of quality and safety. They also give action plans for providers and commissioners to encourage ongoing improvements.
The Outcomes have been developed to assist providers of health and adult social care to comply with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010, and the the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. These regulations describe the essential standards of quality and safety that people who use health and adult social care services have a right to expect. When the outcomes were developed CQC focused on people’s experiences of care and the quality of the treatment and support that they receive as Service Users told them that this is what matters the most to them, not the systems, policies and processes.
The outcomes were developed from the regulations which were grouped into six key areas:
- Involvement and information
- Personalised care, treatment and support
- Safeguarding and safety
- Suitability of staffing
- Quality and management
- Suitability of management
Involvement and Information
C & S Care Services aim to respect and involve Service Users as much as possible. We perform initial assessments with a dedicated Assessor who gives all the relevant information that the Service User needs and aims to answer all questions that might be asked of them. The care plan is bespoke to each individual and a risk assessment is performed to ensure that safety is maintained at all times. The Service User is made aware of telephone numbers needed to contact the office both in and out of hours and left with this information, plus a statement of purpose and complaints procedure that can be referred to at any time. The Service User is consulted at every point and and their consent is gained to ensure that they are happy with the care plan and what the carers will be doing for them. Where the Service Users are in a private contract, the fees are explained to ensure that all payments are fully understood. Confidentiality is adhered to at all times so Service Users can be confident that their information stays safe and protected.
Questionnaires are regularly sent out to Service Users in order to gain their opinions and feelings on the care that they receive. They are encouraged to be open and honest with their answers that we can act upon the information received and use this to improve the service for everybody. Newsletters are sent out on a quarterly basis which contains important information about the business and it also has crosswords and poems in it so has something for everybody.
Personalised Care, Treatment and Support
C & S Care Services ensure that all care is personalised to the person who is receiving it by consulting with them or those acting on their behalf at every step of the way. The care is planned to ensure that the Service Users needs are fully catered for and that it works with or eliminates any risks to their welfare and safety. We ensure (within reason) that that the same care staff are sent to the Service User week in, week out, which enables the Service User to develop trust and a rapport with the staff they receive. Care Plans have been developed so that they are outcome based rather than task based – this means that the Service User is at the centre and their care plan encompasses their life and well being as opposed to just the physical tasks that need performing in order for them to remain at home.
Our training and policies and procedures are robust which helps eliminate poor conduct and practice from any member of staff and protects the Service User from receiving a poor service. Meeting nutritional needs is also so important and all care staff undergo Basic Food Hygeine course before they commence their caring role. This ensures that they are fully knowledgeable on food hygeine and preparation and Service Users can be secure they are receiving a good level of service.
Safeguarding and Safety
C & S Care Services ensures all Service Users are protected from abuse or the risk of abuse by taking action to identify and prevent abuse from happening by having stringent recruitment procedures in place. New staff are vetted in their interviews and carefully analysed to ensure that only the very best people come on board. DBS checks are performed on each new recruit and 2 employment references are gained before working in the community, with constant monitoring happening to ensure continuity and to guage a true picture of the persons personality and abilities.
Cleanliness and infection control is so important for a Service Users safety due to the amount of healthcare related illnesses such as MRSA and clostridium dificile. We ensure that this outcome is covered by commodes being thoroughly rinsed and cleaned – this is incorporated into the risk assessments. The carers all wear their uniforms and also use fresh gloves and aprons for and every Service Users that they visit. We are able to get high quality Personal Protective Equipment supplies from Start Workwear and are confident that this protects both Service User and carer from passing on healthcare related infections such as MRSA and Clostridium Dificile which can be deadly for vulnerable people.
Quality assurance spot checks and medication audits are performed on all members of staff to ensure their competence in the administration of medication and are fully trained in this area. Detailed Care Plans and Risk Assessments are in place before care commences for an individual to ensure each member of staff has the full information in order to perform their role safely.
Suitability of Staffing
All staff have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Scheme check before they commence any work in the community, this ensures that C & S Care Services are fully aware of the staff members past. Service Users can feel safe in their own homes and that they have trusted community care workers visiting them. Strict disciplinary procedures are in place which are not seen as punishment but more as support for the member of staff to help give them guidance towards being the best that they can be.
All staff receive support with Registered Manager who has an “open door” policy which gives staff the comfort of knowing that they can come to her with any personal problems that they may be having. The Registered Manager holds annual appraisals with all members of staff and every 6 months they receive Supervision Sessions from their Coordinator. These give support to the staff in they have their own time to discuss issues and have constructive feedback. Staff are thoroughly trained from the minute they start – they are inducted over a 5 day period in the office training room which involves everything that care staff need to know, including safe manual handling where the carer gets the chance to use a hoist and be hoisted themselves so that they know how vulnerable a Service User feels when they are being hoisted. The training goes on from this to having 2 days observation with an experienced carer and then shadowing for a further 7 days with an experienced carer, with ongoing support from the office this is when the new carer performs care alone. After this time the carer will enrol on their Level 2 Diploma in Care to gain recognised qualifications for the work that they do, and they also receive ongoing training from the inhouse training department.
Quality and Suitability of Management
The Registered Manager is a responsible person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission. She ensures the day to day smooth running of the company and responds appropriately to complaints and issues as they arise ensuring that individuals are supported with their problems with an unbiased manner ensuring that the Service Users are protected.
