# Herts at Home

*Operated by Herts at Home Limited.*

Herts at Home is a CQC-regulated home-care agency in Hertford.

## CQC Ratings

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

Rating published: 05/01/2023

## Practical info

- Postcode: SG6 3JF
- Registered manager: Budge, Jane
- Local authority: Hertfordshire
- Region: East
- City: Hertford
- Last CQC check: 05/Jan/2023 - 00:00

## Inspection findings

### Other

- Finding
  - Evidence: People were supported to be as independent as possible with a risk assessment process.
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- Finding
  - Evidence: Health and social care professionals reported the management team were always responsive and committed to working collaboratively.
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- Finding
  - Evidence: People felt safe and relatives were confident people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm.
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- Finding
  - Evidence: Incidents and accidents were recorded, investigated by local managers and reviewed by the senior management team.
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- Finding
  - Evidence: Care workers had received infection control training and performance was assessed at local management spot checks.
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- Finding
  - Evidence: Care workers were trained and had their competencies to safely administer medicines checked by senior staff.
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- Finding
  - Evidence: Safe and effective recruitment practices were followed to help ensure recruits were of good character and sufficiently experienced.
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- **incident_learning** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: Despite these regular checks the senior management team were not aware of some of the issues identified through feedback with people, their relatives and staff.
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- **leadership** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: Care workers advised the management culture from the top was not open and transparent, senior management were not approachable and did not serve to support them to do their roles.
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- **governance** _(critical)_
  - Evidence: The provider had not effectively used their quality assurance systems and processes to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service. This was a breach of Regulation 17.
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- **staff_training** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: Herts at Home training matrix did not reflect fire safety training and care workers confirmed they had not received this training.
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- **communication_with_families** _(minor)_
  - Evidence: The office never ring us to say the care worker is running late. I have had to ring before now just to check we were going to have a care visit as it was so late in the day.
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- **person_centred_care** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: People said the agency staff seldom read the care plans to gain an understanding about how to provide person centred and consistent care.
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- **staffing_levels** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: There were not always enough suitably experienced, skilled and qualified permanent care workers deployed to meet people's individual support needs.
  - Published: 2023-01-31

### safe

- Finding
  - Learning lessons when things go wrong
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- Finding
  - Preventing and controlling infection
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- Finding
  - Using medicines safely
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- Finding
  - Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuse
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- Finding
  - Assessing risk, safety monitoring and management
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- Finding
  - Staffing and recruitment
  - Published: 2023-01-31

### well_led

- Finding
  - Working in partnership with others
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- Finding
  - Managers and staff being clear about their roles, quality performance, risks and regulatory requirements
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- Finding
  - Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staff; Continuous learning and improving care
  - Published: 2023-01-31
- Finding
  - Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empowering
  - Published: 2023-01-31

## 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/1-6081792073

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