CQC Regulated services
Many of the clients that Gardiner’s Homecare supports with our Visiting Homecare service receive Personal Care. Personal care involves supporting people to wash, bath or clean themselves. All services that employ staff to provide personal care at home are registered with the Care Quality Commission. The CQC is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England.
Inspection of regulated care services
The CQC inspects services to ensure compliance with the regulations. The results of inspections and ratings are published on the CQC website. The CQC’s inspection routine has changed over time. Routine inspections were suspended during during Covid. This was followed by prioritising for inspection services with issues ahead of those about which there are no concerns.
Gardiner’s Homecare rating and last inspection
Our service was most recently inspected by the CQC in November 2017. The report was published in April 2018. At that inspection, we were rated Outstanding for Responsive and Good in every other category. Garidner’s is obviously long overdue an inspection. We are looking forward to our next opportunity to showcase how well we are doing.
Gardiner’s using CQCommission staff survey questions
As part of each regular inspection the CQC conducts a staff survey. Since the second quarter of 2024, when surveying our staff, we ask them the same questions that the CQC will ask. Staff are asked whether they agree or disagree with each of the following statements.
Looking after clients
- I have had training in safeguarding from abuse – 100% agreed
- I know what to do if I suspect one of the people I support was being abused or was at risk of harm – 100% agreed
- I work with people to help them manage their own risks positively – 100% agreed
- I know how to effectively support people to take medicines – 100% agreed
Training
- I completed an induction which prepared me fully for my role before I worked unsupervised – 100% agreed
- I get the training I need to enable me to meet people’s need, choices and preferences – 100% agreed
- I have had training in and understand my responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act (2005) – 100% agreed
Management support
- My managers ask what I think about the service and take my views in to account – 100% agreed
- My managers are accessible and approachable and deal effectively with any concerns I raise – 100% agreed
- I would feel confident about reporting any concerns or poor practice to my managers – 100% agreed
- I receive regular supervision and appraisal from my manager which enhances my skills and learning – 100% agreed
How we support clients
- I am told about the needs, choices and preferences of the people I provide care and support to – 100% agreed
- The care and support I provide helps people who use this service to be as independent as they can be – 100% agreed
- People who use this care agency are always treated with respect and dignity by staff – 100% agreed
- The care agency makes sure that people receive care from familiar, consistent care and support workers – 100% agreed
Management
- I think the service is well managed – 100% agreed
- I would recommend this care agency to a member of my own family – 100% agreed
- My work and travel schedule means that I am able to arrive on time and stay for the agreed length of time – 94.3% agreed
- The time allowed for each visit means that I am able to complete all of the care and support required by the person’s care plan – 97.1% agreed
Gardiner’s Client Survey
We give clients the opportunity to complete a survey after every review. This means that we can track performance over time. The questions we ask are structured using the same categories as the CQC. We understand just how important it is to engage with our clients and to seek continuous improvement. It is for this reason that we prioritize gathering actionable feedback from our clients. Transparency is also important, which is why we share the most recent survey results.