16 May 2022
During a routine inspection
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People received safe care because staff had a good awareness of the specific risks people faced and how to manage these without being restrictive. People’s risk assessments gave staff clear guidance on how to manage their health conditions.
People told us they felt safe. They were protected from avoidable harm as staff were trained to recognise signs of abuse and knew who to report this to if they had concerns. The service had a recruitment and selection process that helped ensure only prospective staff with the required skills and good character were employed to support people.
People’s capacity to consent to decisions about their care and support had been assessed. Where required, the service undertook mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). 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’s care plans were person-centred and included detailed personal histories, their abilities, goals and preferred methods of communication. Plans were regularly reviewed to ensure they reflected people’s current needs.
People and their relatives said they enjoyed visits from the staff. They felt staff had a good understanding of their needs and supported and encouraged them to remain as independent as possible. People and relatives felt all staff were very kind, caring and respectful. One person said, “They treat me like one of the family and really look after me well.”
People said they felt staff were well trained and knew how to help them. People were encouraged to make decisions and express their views about the care and support they received by staff who were respectful and familiar to them.
The service had robust quality assurance procedures which included various audits and regular staff competency checks. This helped ensure the quality of care was maintained and any issues were identified and resolved promptly.
People’s, relative’s and staff member’s views were sought in annual surveys and used to influence the direction of the service. Compliments were shared with staff which helped motivate them. Staff told us they got on well with their colleagues and that they felt proud to work for Altogether Care LLP – Yeovil Care at Home. One staff member said, “I honestly can't imagine working anywhere else.”
Staff told us, the registered manager was supportive, approachable and a good listener. Care staff felt supported by the office staff. People and relatives considered the service well led and organised. One relative said, "The company has a great manager."
The service had established and maintained positive working relationships with other agencies including district nurses, social work teams and GP surgeries.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 3 August 2018).
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services which have had a recent Direct Monitoring Approach (DMA) assessment where no further action was needed to seek assurance about this decision and to identify learning about the DMA process.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Altogether Care LLP – Yeovil Care at Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.