Unity Care Specialists received a Good rating across all five key questions on its first CQC inspection, demonstrating safe, person-centred care with strong staff culture and effective multi-agency working. Minor gaps in care plan comprehensiveness, employment history checks, and audit robustness were identified but were already being addressed by the provider.
Concerns (4)
moderate
Record keeping
: “some records relating to people's care needed to be more comprehensive to ensure staff had all the information they needed to meet people's needs”
minorStaff training: “gaps in staff employment histories had not always been explored and accounted for. The provider was taking action to address this.”
minorCare planning: “Care plans and visit information gave some guidance on people's dietary requirements and preferences although there was room to expand on this to make the plans more personalised.”
minorGovernance: “the audit tools needed to be more robust to ensure these were providing the right level of scrutiny moving forward and new audits had recently been introduced.”
Strengths
· Staff understood, monitored and managed safety well, including risks related to falls, dietary needs and catheter care.
· Medicines were managed safely with electronic MAR systems and competency checks; one medicines error was managed appropriately with learning embedded.
· No missed visits recorded; service maintained reliable, consistent staffing with realistic schedules and sufficient travel time.
· Staff received comprehensive induction, shadowing, and specialist training including dementia care, Huntington's disease, and falls prevention.
· Strong person-centred and holistic end of life care delivered in partnership with healthcare professionals.
Quality-Statement breakdown (24)
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
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuseGood
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 to provide consistent, effective, timely careGood
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: Managers and staff being clear about their roles, and understanding quality performance, risks, and regulatory requirementsGood
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: Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staffGood