Archived: Apex Prime Care Havant

Apex Prime Care Havant is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of inspection there were 87 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

At the last inspection we found that medicines administration records had not been consistently completed. At this inspection we saw that this had now been improved. Risks to people had been assessed and planned for and there were appropriate policies and systems in place to protect people from abuse. Safe recruitment processes were followed and there were sufficient staff employed to meet people’s needs. People confirmed that staff attended calls and were mostly on time and consistent. Where an incident or accident had occurred, the registered manager had robust procedures in place.

People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People and their relatives predominately had confidence in the ability of staff. Staff received regular supervisions and appraisals and training that enabled them to meet the needs of most people being supported. People's nutritional and hydration needs were managed well, and people were supported to see health care professionals according to their needs.

People and their relatives were positive about the care and support received; we were told of times where staff had exceeded what was expected of them and that their views were listened to. The provider told us how they ensured that call times and visits were led by people and staff were sensitive and respectful when talking about the people they supported.

The provider had a holistic approach towards providing person centred care. The provider understood the importance of social activities to people's wellbeing and had developed community resources to help people live as full a life as possible. The care plans were comprehensive and provided staff with clear guidelines on how care should be delivered. People and their relatives knew how to complain if they needed to and felt they would be listened to.

At our last inspection the provider had failed to notify us of allegations of possible abuse. This was a breach of Regulation 18 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. The required improvements had been made at this inspection and the provider was no longer in breach of regulation 18.

The registered manager followed current and relevant legislation along with best practice guidelines. People and their relatives were predominately positive about the registered manager and office. However, some of the feedback highlighted that some people and their relatives felt that there was a lack of communication at times between the office and the carers.

At our last inspection quality assurance audits were not consistently effective in monitoring the quality of care provided. This was a breach of Regulation 17 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Good governance.

The required improvements had been made at this inspection and the provider was no longer in breach of regulation 17.

The registered manager understood the importance of continuous learning and they had implemented new systems to monitor the quality of the service. The service worked collaboratively with health care professionals, community organisations and charities. The registered manager promoted an ‘open-door’ culture and encouraged informal opportunities for people and their relatives to feedback to the service in addition to the more structured regular review meetings.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection (and update)

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 14 November 2018) and there were two breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do, and when, to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Apex Prime Care Havant provides a range of services to people in their own home including personal care. People using the service had a range of needs such as learning and/or physical disabilities and dementia. At the time of our inspection 152 people were receiving personal care in their own homes.

The service had 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The registered manager had delegated the responsibility of managing the service to the deputy manager. It was their intention to apply to become the registered manager of the service.

The provider failed to notify CQC of allegations of possible abuse.

We could not be assured people consistently received their medicines because records were not always completed.

Governance systems were not always effective in monitoring the quality of care provided.

People told us they were safe.

Care workers underwent appropriate recruitment checks before they started to work at the service.

Sufficient staff were deployed to meet people’s needs.

Care plans were detailed and person-centred.

People had their needs assessed across a wide range of areas and care plans included guidance about meeting these needs.

Care workers understood the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). The service was aware of the need to assess people's capacity to make specific decisions. Care workers were supported to have the skills and knowledge to carry out their role. They had received an induction and essential training. People were supported to have sufficient amounts to eat and drink.

Care workers told us that the registered manager and the deputy manager were supportive.

Staff received regular supervisions and appraisal. Spot checks were also a regular occurrence to monitor performance.

People who used the service told us that staff were kind and caring.

People and their relatives were involved in their care.

Care workers knew people well and could describe to us how people liked to be supported.

There was a complaints procedure which people and their relatives were aware of.

People felt they would be listened to if they needed to complain or raise concerns.

The Accessible Information standard was understood by the management team.

The registered manager and the deputy manager were knowledgeable about issues and priorities relating to the quality and future of the service.

We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and one breach of the Care Quality Commissions (Registration) Regulations 2009. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.