# First Choice Home Care

*Operated by First Choice Home Care Ltd.*

First Choice Home Care is a CQC-regulated home-care agency in Norwich.

## CQC Ratings

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

Rating published: 22/04/2025

## Practical info

- Postcode: NR16 2JU
- Local authority: Norfolk
- Region: East
- City: Norwich
- Last CQC check: 22/Apr/2025 - 00:00

## Inspection findings

### Other

- Finding
  - Evidence: Staff described management as approachable with an on-call number for advice.
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- Finding
  - Evidence: DBS checks and references were obtained for staff.
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- Finding
  - Evidence: Management team understood and acted on duty of candour and CQC notification responsibilities.
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- Finding
  - Evidence: Care files were personalised, shaped around people's preferences and support needs, with goals to support wishes.
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- Finding
  - Evidence: Positive feedback about infection prevention and control processes; staff always wore PPE appropriately.
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- Finding
  - Evidence: People told us they felt safe with staff, and staff had received safeguarding training.
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- **complaints_handling** _(minor)_
  - Evidence: the service had recorded cancelled calls and declined calls but had not recorded reasons for them. Some people had cancelled multiple calls in a month and there was no recording of alternative support offered
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- **incident_learning** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: Accidents and incidents were recorded. However, the management team were working to implement a new reporting system to gather more details and information, so lessons can be learnt
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- **other** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: Staff were not always recruited safely, we found gaps in completed application forms and some applications forms did not match staffs curriculum vitae (CV).
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- **medication_management** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: Medicines audits were not sufficient in fully identifying the circumstances behind identified errors.
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- **staffing_levels** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: There were not always enough staff on duty to meet people's needs. Staff vacancies and absence had led to low staffing levels on some occasions.
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- **governance** _(critical)_
  - Evidence: Some of the systems to assess, monitor and improve the quality of the service were not fully effective. This was a breach of regulation 17 (Good Governance)
  - Published: 2022-10-15

### safe

- Finding
  - Preventing and controlling infection
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- Finding
  - Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuse
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- Finding
  - Assessing risk, safety monitoring and management
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- Finding
  - Learning lessons when things go wrong
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- Finding
  - Using medicines safely
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- Finding
  - Staffing and recruitment
  - Published: 2022-10-15

### well_led

- Finding
  - Working in partnership with others
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- Finding
  - Continuous learning and improving care
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- Finding
  - Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staff
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- Finding
  - Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empowering
  - Published: 2022-10-15
- Finding
  - Managers and staff being clear about their roles, and understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirements
  - Published: 2022-10-15

## 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/1-2579916184

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