Background to this inspection
Updated
15 January 2016
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This inspection took place on 4 December 2015. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service in people’s own homes and we needed to be sure that someone would be available to assist with the inspection. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
This service was registered with us in December 2014 and this was their first inspection. Before our inspection, we reviewed the information we held about the service.
During our inspection we met all four people who used the service and talked with three of them. During this time we also observed the support provided by the staff. We spoke with two members of staff and the registered manager. We looked at two people’s care records and other records relating to service. This included recruitment, training and medicines records.
After the inspection we received feedback from two healthcare professionals, two care managers and two relatives.
Updated
15 January 2016
This inspection took place on 4 December 2015. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service in people’s own homes and we needed to be sure that someone would be available to assist with the inspection.
Axcelence is registered to provide personal care to people their own homes. At the time of the inspection they were providing a service to four people who lived together in a shared house.
The service has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The registered manager is also the registered provider.
Axcelence was previously based at 12-16 Morland House, Romford, Essex, RM1 3RJ and have recently moved to their current location. They have submitted the necessary application to the Care Quality Commission for the new location at Queens Court to be registered.
People received a safe service. They were supported by caring staff who treated them with respect. One person told us, “The staff are nice, they treat me with respect.” A healthcare practitioner told us that people had excellent relationships with staff.
Systems were in place to minimise risk and to ensure that people were supported as safely as possible. A care manager said that staff had learnt strategies to manage their ‘clients’ behaviour.
Systems were in place to ensure that people received their prescribed medicines safely and appropriately. Medicines were administered by staff who were trained and assessed as being competent to do this.
Staff received the support and training they needed to give them the necessary skills and knowledge to meet people’s assessed needs, preferences and choices and to provide an effective and responsive service.
The staff team worked in partnership with relevant health and social care practitioners and with relatives. A healthcare practitioner told us that there were effective care plans and recommendations were followed through.
Care managers told us that people received a good service that was tailored to their specific needs.
People were protected by the provider’s recruitment process which ensured that staff were suitable to work with people who need support.
People were encouraged to develop their skills and to be as independent as possible. One person said, “I get the chance to be more independent.”
Systems were in place to support people with their nutritional needs. They were supported to shop and cook for themselves.
People were actively involved in developing their care plans and in agreeing how they should be supported.
The registered manager monitored the quality of service provided to ensure that people received a safe and effective service that met their needs. A health care practitioner told us that there was “a lot of positive leadership.”
Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs and to enable them to do be supported flexibly and in a way that they wished.
People were encouraged to make choices and to have as much control as possible over what they did and how they were supported. Systems were in place to ensure that their human rights were protected.