# DCA Essex

*Operated by Achieve Together Limited.*

DCA Essex is a CQC-regulated home-care agency in Braintree.

## CQC Ratings

| Key question | Rating |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | Good |
| Safe | Good |
| Effective | Requires improvement |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Well-led | Good |

Rating published: 30/01/2025

## Practical info

- Postcode: CM77 6RL
- Registered manager: Williams, Emma
- Local authority: Essex
- Region: East
- City: Braintree
- Last CQC check: 30/Jan/2025 - 00:00

## Inspection findings

### caring

- Finding
  - Ensuring people are well treated and supported; respecting equality and diversity; Supporting people to express their views
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Respecting and promoting people's privacy, dignity and independence
  - Published: 2023-11-03

### effective

- Finding
  - Ensuring consent to care and treatment in line with law and guidance
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Staff working with other agencies to provide consistent, effective, timely care; Supporting people to live healthier lives
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Supporting people to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Staff support: induction, training, skills and experience
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Assessing people's needs and choices; delivering care in line with standards, guidance and the law
  - Published: 2023-11-03

### Other

- Finding
  - Evidence: Care plans considered people's diverse needs including cultural preferences and individuality.
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Evidence: Staff training included STOMP (stopping over-medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both).
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Evidence: People were recruited safely with appropriate DBS checks carried out.
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Evidence: The new manager was responsive, committed to learning, and put people's needs at the heart of everything they did.
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Evidence: People could communicate with staff effectively because staff understood their individual communication needs.
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Evidence: Staff supported people to access specialist health and social care support in the community with positive examples of joint working with professionals.
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Evidence: The service received regular safeguarding notifications demonstrating an open culture, and staff were able to describe how they protected people from abuse.
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Evidence: Staff were committed to the people they supported and many people lived full, engaged lives with person-centred activities.
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- **record_keeping** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: We found a care plan which had not been amended and held out of date, unsafe information about support with buccal medicines, despite an audit stating the plans had been updated.
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- **leadership** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: There was no registered manager at the service... the manager covered a wide geographical area and was overstretched.
  - Published: 2023-11-03

### responsive

- Finding
  - End of life care and support
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Meeting people's communication needs
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Improving care quality in response to complaints or concerns
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Planning personalised care to ensure people have choice and control; Supporting people to follow interests and activities
  - Published: 2023-11-03

### safe

- Finding
  - Preventing and controlling infection
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuse
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Staffing and recruitment
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Assessing risk, safety monitoring and management; Learning lessons when things go wrong
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Using medicines safely
  - Published: 2023-11-03

### well_led

- Finding
  - Working in partnership with others
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Engaging and involving people, the public and staff; How the provider understands and acts on the duty of candour
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Managers and staff being clear about their roles, understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirements; Continuous learning
  - Published: 2023-11-03
- Finding
  - Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empowering
  - Published: 2023-11-03

## Source

Data published by the [Care Quality Commission](https://www.cqc.org.uk/) under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Canonical page: https://homecarecompass.co.uk/agency/1-13376077811

HomeCare Compass is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the CQC.