Harlington Care, a domiciliary care agency linked to a hospice supporting 29 people with personal care, was rated Good across all five key questions at its first inspection in December 2021. People praised regular, kind care workers, end of life support and a person-centred culture, and management systems including safeguarding, audits and learning from incidents were effective.
Strengths
· Strong end of life care provision through close working with hospice team and multi-disciplinary teams
· Regular consistent care workers with people and families reporting good relationships and punctual visits
· Effective safeguarding systems including a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian and company-wide analysis of safeguarding concerns
· Well trained and supported staff with adapted training approaches (e.g. individualised support for those struggling with online learning)
· Person-centred culture with positive feedback ('The best agency I have ever used') and staff who would recommend the agency
Quality-Statement breakdown (25)
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuseGood
safe: Assessing risk, safety monitoring and managementGood
safe: Staffing and recruitmentGood
safe: Using medicines safelyGood
safe: Preventing and controlling infectionGood
safe: Learning lessons when things go wrongGood
effective: Assessing people's needs and choices; delivering care in line with standards, guidance and the lawGood
effective: Staff support: induction, training, skills and experienceGood
effective: Supporting people to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced dietGood
effective: Staff working with other agencies; supporting people to access healthcare servicesGood
effective: Ensuring consent to care and treatment in line with law and guidanceGood
caring: Ensuring people are well treated and supported; respecting equality and diversityGood
caring: Supporting people to express their views and be involved in making decisions about their careGood
caring: Respecting and promoting people's privacy, dignity and independenceGood
responsive: Planning personalised care to ensure people have choice and control and to meet their needs and preferencesGood
responsive: Meeting people's communication needsGood
responsive: Supporting people to develop and maintain relationships to avoid social isolationGood
responsive: Improving care quality in response to complaints or concernsGood
responsive: End of life care and supportGood
well-led: Promoting a positive, person-centred, inclusive and empowering cultureGood
well-led: Duty of candourGood
well-led: Managers and staff being clear about their roles, quality, risks and regulatory requirementsGood
well-led: Engaging and involving people, the public and staffGood
well-led: Continuous learning and improving careGood