Archived: Abicare Services Ltd

Updated 18 August 2017

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.

The inspection took place on 25 July 2017. It was carried out by one inspector and was announced. We gave the registered manager 48 hours' notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to make sure someone would be in the office. We were assisted on the day of our inspection by the registered manager.

Before the inspection, the registered manager completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at the PIR and at all the information we had collected about the service. This included information received and notifications the registered manager had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law.

As part of the inspection we spoke with the registered manager and the provider's compliance officer. We received feedback from seven people who use the service and two relatives. We also received feedback from three of the care workers and a social care professional.

We looked at four people's care plans and associated records, three staff recruitment files, staff training records and the staff supervision and annual appraisal log. We reviewed a number of other documents relating to the management of the service. For example, compliments received, incident records, spot check feedback forms, the compliance officer's branch audit, training policy, extreme weather emergency plan and staff meeting minutes.

Updated 18 August 2017

This inspection took place on 25 July 2017 and was announced. We gave the registered manager 48 hours' notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to make sure someone would be in the office. This was the first inspection since the location was added to the provider's registration on 28 July 2016.

Abicare Services Ltd is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 17 people receiving a service. The service has a small staff team of eight. The staff team consists of the registered manager, the team manager and six care workers.

The service had a registered manager as required. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 2008 and associated regulations about how the service is run. The registered manager was present and assisted us during the inspection.

People were protected from risks to their health and wellbeing and were protected from the risk of abuse. Safe recruitment practices were followed before new staff were employed to work with people. Checks were made to ensure staff were of good character and suitable for their role.

Staff received training and supervision to enable them to do their jobs safely and to a good standard. We have made a recommendation about ongoing staff training.

People were treated with respect and their privacy and dignity was promoted. People said their care workers were kind and caring. Staff were responsive to the needs of the people they supported and enabled them to maintain their independence as much as possible.

People's rights to make their own decisions were protected. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People received support that was individualised to their specific needs and reflected their likes, dislikes and preferences. People's equality and diversity needs were identified and incorporated into their care plans. Their needs were monitored and care plans reviewed regularly or as changes occurred. People's health and well-being was assessed with measures put in place to ensure people's needs were met in a person centred way.

Medicines were managed well and staff handling medicines were only allowed to do so after completing their training and being assessed as competent. Where included in their care package, people were supported to eat and drink enough.

People benefitted from receiving a service that was managed well. Quality assurance systems were in place to monitor the quality of the care and support being delivered and the running of the service.