Care Ideals

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This large Domiciliary Care business contacted Care Ideals for assistance following a very problematic CQC inspection. The provider had also been informed by the Local Authority that a ban had been placed on accepting new service userrs

David Beattie worked very closely with the owner and the Quality Assurance Manager, focusing on systems, processes, governance, risk management and service user satisfaction. This company also adopted the Care Ideals Policy System, which they now use on a daily basis.

David drafted a detailed Action Plan that focused on issues of concern that had been raised by CQC and the Local Authority. The Action Plan included:

1. monitoring and auditing of medication
2. reviewing Safeguarding concerns, and ensuring that proactive resolution occurs on an on-going basis
3. developing and improving recruitment processes and procedures, to ensure that all relevant paperwork was in personnel files and that all appropriate checks were done
4. how to improve the monitoring system for missed calls, and implementing a system to track and address missed calls
5. addressing shortfalls in training, and how to correctly monitor that training was taking place when it needed to
6. implementing a system that ensured supervision, appraisals and Spot Checks took place when they needed to
7. ensuring that “continuity of staff” happened, that would assist in ensuring service users could develop positive relationships with only one or two regular staff
8. robust monitoring and follow up of complaints
9. improving communication between the office and service users, so that the service users knew if their carer was late or delayed
10. introducing a robust and effective system of quality assurance, audit and governance
11. introducing a system whereby shortfalls in service provision were not only identified, but also followed up to make sure that issues were rectified
12. introducing a system that ensured care plans and daily records were being completed in good time and in sufficient detail
13. developing relevant forms and spreadsheets that addressed the shortfalls identified by both CQC and the Local Authority
14. improving communication between the provider and CQC; and the provider and the Local Authority.

Four months after David Beattie started assisting this provider, CQC arrived for a follow-up inspection.

After the inspection, the inspector commented that they were very impressed by how quickly the changes had been implemented, and that they now didn’t have any concerns about the service.