Archived: SunCare

SunCare is a domiciliary care service that provides personal care to people in their own homes. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. 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. At the time of our inspection, 36 people were using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People and their relatives felt safe and comfortable in the presence of staff. Staff received training to help them understand how to protect people from harm and abuse. The risks to people were assessed, reviewed and staff had guidance on how to manage these. People received a reliable and consistent service from regular staff. Checks were completed on prospective staff to ensure they were suitable to care for people. People had support to manage their medicines, where they needed this. Staff were trained in how to protect people from the risk of infections. The provider monitored and responded to accidents and incidents involving people who used the service.

People’s individual needs were assessed with them before their care started. Staff received training and support to enable them to work safely and effectively. People had support to prepare meals and drinks of their choosing, where they needed this. Staff helped people attend medical appointments and monitored their general health and wellbeing. 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.

Staff treated people well and spoke to them appropriately. People and their relatives were encouraged to express their views about the care and support they received. Staff protected people’s privacy and dignity and respected their independence.

People’s care plans encouraged a person-centred approach and were read and followed by staff. People and their relatives were involved in yearly care review meetings to discuss how the care provided could be improved. People and their relatives were clear how to complain about the service. Staff worked with community healthcare professionals to identify and meet people’s end of life care needs.

People, their relatives and staff had positive relationships and open communication with the management team. Staff felt well-supported, listened to and valued by management. The provider conducted audits and checks on the quality of the service provided.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 15 July 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based upon the service’s previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Suncare Home Care Ltd is an agency that provides a domiciliary service to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection, personal care was being provided to 55 people living in the three counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Powys in Wales.

A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. There was a registered manager in post at the time of the inspection.

This service was first registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on the 02 July 2015, and had not been previously inspected.

People told us they felt safe and secure with the care staff provided in their own homes.

Staff had received training in and understood how to protect people from any harm and abuse. The provider followed safe recruitment practices that ensured staff who provided care were suitable to work in people’s own homes.

The provider had assessed and managed the risks connected with people’s individual care and support needs. Staff were able to tell us of the risks people faced and the action they took to support them.

People told us there were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet their needs safely. Staff were punctual, and rarely late for calls. If staff were delayed, people would be rung by the office notifying them of the delay and reason.

People had the support they needed to take their prescribed medicines safely. Staff received medication training and their competency was regularly checked.

Staff had received training to give them the skills and knowledge they needed to meet people's needs. Staff were supported by the management team and received regular one to one supervision.

Staff asked people’s permission before they helped them with any care or support. People’s right to make their own decisions about their own care and treatment were supported by staff.

People were supported by staff who knew them well and had developed good relationships with them. People felt involved in their own care and that staff and the provider listened to what they wanted. People were treated with dignity and respect and staff understood how important this was in the way they cared for people.

The provider promoted an open and inclusive culture within the service. The provider had systems in place to seek out people’s views and experiences of their care, and address any concerns or complaints.

The provider monitored the quality of the service to ensure improvements were made.