Archived: Allied Healthcare Hornchurch

' Is the service caring?

' Is the service responsive?

' Is the service safe?

' Is the service effective?

' Is the service well led?

This is a summary of what we found.

Is the service safe?

People told us they felt safe. Safeguarding procedures were in place and staff understood how to safeguard people they supported. People told us that they felt their rights and dignity were respected. Systems were in place to make sure that managers and staff learnt from events such as whistleblowing and safeguarding investigations. This reduced the risks to people and helped the service to continually improve. Appropriate risk assessments were in place and staff knew about risk management strategies such how to prevent falls in order to provide safe care to people. Recruitment practice was thorough so that people were cared for by staff who were fit and competent. Policies and procedures were in place to make sure that unsafe practice was identified and people were protected.

Is the service effective?

People's care needs were assessed with them and they were involved in developing their plans of care. People said that their care plans were up to date and reflected their current needs. People were not put at unnecessary risk but also had access to choice and remained in control of decisions about their care and lives. We spoke with four people using the service and asked them for their views about the care and support they received. They were positive about their experiences and described care staff as "very good" and "polite and respectful." Relatives told us "the agency is brilliant, it is brilliant for people with dementia. The carers know how to respond to my mother, they reassure her and explain what they are doing." Another said "I was very sceptical about using agencies for my mother but I am very pleased with this one."

Is the service caring?

We spoke with people being supported by the service. We asked them for their opinion about the staff that supported them. People told us that the care staff were kind and caring and had enough time to deliver the planned care. One person said, " the care staff are nice, they look after me and listen to me." People's preferences and diverse needs were recorded and care and support had been provided in accordance with their wishes.

Is the service responsive?

Care staff we spoke to were knowledgeable about the needs of people they supported and how to meet them. Care staff told us that if they identified that people's needs had changed, they would report this to the office and the supervisor would re-assess the person's needs and update their care plan and risk assessments.This meant that the planning and delivery of care was flexible and kept up to date in recognition of people's changing needs.

Is the service well-led?

The service had a quality assurance process. Sufficient systems were in pace to monitor the quality of the service provided to ensure that people received safe, quality care. Annual customer satisfaction questionnaires were sent to people, their representatives and staff to seek their views and opinion about the service in order to understand where improvements were needed. Staff told us they were clear about their roles and responsibilities. They were supported by the management team to provide good, quality care and were encouraged to complete relevant training which enabled them to carry out their roles effectively. This helped to ensure that people received a good quality service at all times.

People knew how to make a complaint if they were unhappy. One person said that they had made a complaint and were satisfied with the outcome. People told us that they did not have any concerns but were confident that the office staff and manager would resolve any issues raised. One person who used the service said 'If I had a complaint I would go to the manager, I am sure she would sort it out." Another told us " Yes I know who to go to if I had a problem." People also told us that they were regularly contacted by the service to check if they were satisfied with the care that they received and were always asked if they had any concerns.

People told us the service asked for their views about the care provided. When asked if senior staff consulted them, one person said "yes, I have spoken to them once or twice." We found various systems in place for monitoring the quality of support provided. The service had a complaints procedure in place, and we found that complaints had been investigated in line with the procedure. We found that records were stored securely and kept up to date.