Hartfields is a domiciliary care service that provides care and support to people in their own homes within the Hartfields Retirement Village site. This site is a joint venture between the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust (JRHT), Hartlepool Borough Council, Hartlepool Primary Care Trust and NorthTees and Hartlepool NHS Trust. The service provides extra care housing for people aged 55 years and over. Not everyone living at Hartfields requires support with personal care. At the time of the inspection there were 66 people using the care service.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People said they felt safe and comfortable with the care workers who visited them. Staff were trained in safeguarding people and knew how to report any concerns. There were enough staff to make sure people received their allocated visits at the right times. The provider had robust recruitment and selection procedures in place so staff were thoroughly vetted before they started working for the service.

The service had made improvements to how medicines were overseen to make sure this was safe for the people who needed support with their medicines.

Staff were well-trained and supervised to provide the right care and support to people who used the service. People said they received help to manage their meals and nutrition where this was required. Staff worked with health and social care professionals to make sure people’s health was maintained.

People and relatives said care staff were caring, kind and thoughtful. They had good relationships, especially with regular care workers. People were treated with dignity and respect. They told us their privacy and confidentiality was protected and staff went the “extra mile” to help them.

People’s care records were personalised about their needs and preferences, so staff had information about how to provide individualised support in the way that people wanted it. People were given clear information about how to make a complaint. They told us any issues they had raised had been dealt with in a quick and professional way.

People and relatives felt the service was well-managed, the registered manager was approachable and the morale of staff was very good. Staff and health and social care professionals said the service was well-run, efficient and worked very well with other agencies in the community.

People were regularly asked for their feedback about the service. They said the service was very well-run and they

Further information is in the detailed findings below

We spoke with ten people who use the service, two relatives, five health professionals and four staff members on the day of the inspection. We also spoke to other people living within the premises but not receiving care. Everyone was able to speak freely about their experience of the service. People, visitors and other residents living in the premises were all positive about the provider and its staff.

The five health professionals spoken to said that the staff worked in partnership with them to provide the best possible care to people using the service. One health professional said, “We have a good working relationship with the staff.”

We found that the management of medicines was suitable to protect people using the service.

The provider had recruitment and performance management procedures in place to ensure that people using the service were safe and their needs were met by suitable and qualified staff. One staff member told us, “We complete a full induction program when we start work.”

Staff told us that they felt supported within the service and had opportunities to develop their skills with additional training opportunities. One staff member said, “We are encouraged to do training.”

From the care records that were checked we saw that they were relevant and up to date. All personal documentation, including people and staff information was kept securely.

We spoke with four people who used the service. They told us they were involved in the care planning process. For example, one person said, “I get a care plan every year. They go through it to make sure everything is fine. I feel involved; they take notice of what I say. They ask me if I am happy with everything.” We found that people expressed their views and were involved in making decisions about their care and treatment.

People also told us, “I get on well with all of them [the staff]. Never had any problems.” “I feel safe with staff coming in here.” People told us if they were concerned about anything, they would talk to staff. One person who used the service told us, “There are forms downstairs if you are concerned about abuse. If anyone bullies you; you tell staff.”

We found that staff received appropriate professional development.

People told us that they had no complaints about the service, for example “I don’t have any complaints, but if I made one I know they would take it seriously.” People had their comments and complaints listened to and acted on, without the fear that they would be discriminated against for making a complaint.

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and to pilot a new inspection process being introduced by CQC which looks at the overall quality of the service.

Hartfields Domiciliary Care Agency provides care and support to people in their own homes in the Hartfields Retirement Village site. This site is a joint venture between the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust (JRHT), Hartlepool Borough Council, Hartlepool Primary Care Trust and NorthTees and Hartlepool NHS Trust. The service provides extra care housing for people aged 55 years and over. Not everyone living at Hartfields requires support with personal care. At the time of the inspection there were 65 people using the care service.

The service met the regulations we inspected against at their last inspection on 20 November 2013. No concerns had been raised since then.

The provider was given short notice of 48 hours before the inspection visit to this domiciliary care agency. This was to make sure the agency office was accessible and we were able to meet with the registered manager. The agency had a registered manager who had been in post for over four years. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and shares the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law with the provider.

People were very positive about the service they received. People felt safe and felt included in decisions about their care. Staff were vetted before they could work at the service to make sure they were suitable. All the people and relatives we spoke with said they felt there were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs at their agreed visit times.

The registered manager understood the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 for people who lacked capacity to make a decision. People’s safety was protected without compromising their rights to lead an independent lifestyle.

People were involved in making decisions about their own care arrangements. Their care was planned and continually reviewed. People and their relatives felt staff were knowledgeable about people’s individual needs and preferences. People were supported with their meals if they needed support with their nutrition.

People were very positive about the caring nature of the agency staff. People and their relatives described care staff as caring, kind, helpful and thoughtful.  People said their dignity and privacy were respected and maintained by the care agency. They told us staff always knocked on the door and waited for permission to enter their flats, and always supported people with closing curtains if they were getting washed.

People felt the staff were suitably skilled to provide their care. Staff had relevant training and supervision to assist people in the right way. New members of staff received thorough induction training so they were prepared for their role. Staff said they enjoyed their work and felt valued by the registered manager and by the organisation.

Several people and their relatives described the service as “very well-run” and said the registered manager was open, accessible and knowledgeable about each person’s needs. People said they were regularly asked for their views.