Adina Home Care Services

Adina Home Care Services is a domiciliary care service which provides personal care and support to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection there were 154 people using the service. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.

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

The provider lacked oversight of the service. The provider was unaware of the issues identified during the inspection.

The provider did not consistently ensure that staff recruited were assessed as safe to work with people.

We were not assured that staff were provided with the necessary support and training to carry out their responsibilities effectively.

There were systems in place to ensure that medicines were managed appropriately. Daily records showed people had received their medicines as prescribed.

Systems were in place to ensure people and staff remained safe and protected from the spread of infection. There were policies on infection prevention and control and COVID-19 which were in line with national guidance.

People’s communication needs were not consistently met. Some people felt a sense of disempowerment because some care workers did not communicate clearly in English.

We received variable feedback regarding whether people were listened to when they complained. Some people felt their concerns and complaints had not been appropriately addressed.

Risks to people's safety were assessed and plans put in place to minimise risk of harm and to provide safe support. Environmental and health and safety risk assessments had also been carried out.

People were supported to have maximum 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 were protected from the risk of harm and abuse. There were policies covering adult safeguarding, which were accessible to all staff. They outlined clearly who to go to for further guidance.

People were protected from the risks associated with poor infection control because the service had processes in place to reduce the risk of infection and cross contamination.

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 22 August 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified breaches in relation to recruitment, staff support and training and a lack of an effective quality assurance system.

We made two recommendations on complaints handling and accessible communication.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Not everyone using Adina Home Care Services receives a regulated activity. CQC only inspect the service received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

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.

People told us they were safe. There were safeguarding systems and processes to support care workers to protect people from avoidable harm. Care workers underwent appropriate recruitment checks before they started to work at the service. At this inspection, the service had ensured there were sufficient staff to meet people's needs safely. This also included needs of people related to support with medicines and hygiene.

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 was supportive. They had 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. The service shared with us many good examples of person centred care. 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 was knowledgeable about issues and priorities relating to the quality and future of the service. There were effective governance arrangements. There were systems to assess, monitor and improve the quality of the service provided.