Filipino Care Givers improved from Requires Improvement to Good across all inspected key questions (Safe, Effective, Well-led), having successfully resolved four prior regulatory breaches relating to risk assessment, recruitment, staffing/training and governance. People and relatives consistently praised the quality of care, staff competency and the open, responsive management culture.
Strengths
· Risks to people were assessed, monitored and updated effectively, resolving previous breaches of Regulation 12.
· Robust recruitment procedures with DBS checks, references, scenario-based interviews and probationary periods, resolving previous breaches of Regulation 19.
· Staff were well-trained with comprehensive induction based on Care Certificate/Skills for Care standards, resolving previous breaches of Regulation 18.
· Medicines safely administered, regularly audited and appropriately stored and disposed of.
· Effective infection prevention and control with appropriate PPE use and up-to-date policies.
Quality-Statement breakdown (19)
safe: Assessing risk, safety monitoring and managementGood
safe: Staffing and recruitmentGood
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuseGood
safe: Using medicines safelyGood
safe: Preventing and controlling infectionGood
safe: Learning lessons when things go wrongGood
effective: Staff support: induction, training, skills and experienceGood
effective: Assessing people's needs and choices; delivering care in line with standards, guidance and the lawGood
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: Supporting people to live healthier lives, access healthcare services and supportGood
effective: Ensuring consent to care and treatment in line with law and guidanceGood
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
well-led: Continuous learning and improving careGood
caring: Not inspected at this visit — rating carried forward from previous comprehensive inspectionGood
responsive: Not inspected at this visit — rating carried forward from previous comprehensive inspectionGood
Filipino Care Givers received an overall rating of Requires Improvement at its first CQC inspection, with regulatory breaches identified across safe, effective and well-led domains relating to incomplete risk assessments, unsafe recruitment practices, inconsistent mandatory training and ineffective governance systems. Caring and responsive practice was rated Good, supported by consistently positive relative feedback about staff compassion, person-centred care and reliable service delivery.
Concerns (5)
criticalCare planning: “One person who had started to receive care and had a live-in care worker did not have completed risk assessments in place.”
criticalRecord keeping: “Staff files were not fully complete and were missing some key documents...none of the staff files we saw contained written references from previous employers.”
criticalStaff training: “One staff member who was in a placement as a live-in carer had not received any initial or mandatory training with the organisation before starting.”
criticalGovernance: “We could not be assured that the systems in place were operated to address service shortfalls identified. This was a breach of regulation 17.”
moderateIncident learning: “There had been some notifiable incidents which the CQC had not been notified about.”
Strengths
· Relatives praised staff as caring, compassionate and professional, with consistently positive feedback about dignity and respect
· Medicines were safely administered, regularly audited and appropriately stored using electronic MAR records
· Sufficient staffing levels with relatives reporting 100% reliability including cover for holidays and sickness
· Effective use of technology (Nurse Buddy app) providing real-time oversight of care delivery
· Strong partnership working with district nurses, GPs, speech and language therapists and community services
Quality-Statement breakdown (22)
safe: Assessing risk, safety monitoring and managementRequires improvement
safe: Staffing and recruitmentRequires improvement
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuseGood
safe: Preventing and controlling infectionGood
safe: Using medicines safelyGood
safe: Learning lessons when things go wrongGood
effective: Staff support: induction, training, skills and experienceRequires improvement
effective: Staff working with other agencies to provide consistent, effective, timely careGood
effective: Assessing people's needs and choices; delivering care in line with standards, guidance and the lawGood
effective: Supporting people to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced dietGood
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: Meeting people's communication needsGood
responsive: Planning personalised care to ensure people have choice and controlGood
responsive: Improving care quality in response to complaints or concernsGood
responsive: Supporting people to maintain relationships and avoid social isolationGood
well-led: Managers and staff being clear about their roles, understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirementsRequires improvement
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 staff; working in partnership with othersGood