Helping Hands Croydon received an overall Good rating across all five key questions at its first inspection in July 2022, with 22 people receiving personal care in their own homes. Minor shortfalls were noted in the frequency of staff supervision and timeliness of office communications, but no regulatory breaches were identified.
Concerns (2)
minor
Supervision / appraisal
: “Staff supervisions were not always in line with the frequency set in the providers' policy... it needed to be every two months in order to follow the provider's own policy and guidelines.”
minorCommunication with families: “Some people said communications from the office were not always timely and could be improved when their care workers were going to be late.”
Strengths
· Robust safeguarding policies and procedures in place; staff knowledgeable about safeguarding responsibilities.
· Comprehensive recruitment checks including DBS, references and identity verification.
· Medicines administered safely with completed MARs audited regularly.
· Person-centred care delivered by consistent, regular staff teams known to service users.
· Effective complaints handling with issues resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.
Quality-Statement breakdown (23)
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: Supporting people to live healthier lives, access healthcare services and supportGood
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 controlGood
responsive: Meeting people's communication needsGood
responsive: Improving care quality in response to complaints or concernsGood
responsive: End of life care and supportGood
well-led: Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empoweringGood
well-led: How the provider understands and acts on the duty of candourGood
well-led: Managers and staff being clear about their roles, and understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirementsGood
well-led: Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staffGood