Background to this inspection
Updated
18 December 2020
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by two inspectors and an assistant inspector who made calls to people, relatives and staff.
Service and service type
This service provides care and support to people living in a number of ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
We gave the agency four days’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to gain consent from people to be visited in their home to give their feedback and also arrange for the required documentation to be sent across electronically.
Inspection activity started on 17 November 2020 and ended on 19 November 2020.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used all of this information to plan our inspection. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
During the inspection
We spoke with three people who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the care manager (covering the maternity leave of the registered manager), the operations director and four care staff.
We viewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medicine records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment, staff supervision and training data. A variety of records relating to the management of the services, including policies and procedures, quality assurance checks and audits.
Updated
18 December 2020
About the service
Alina Homecare Specialist Care Kent is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses in the community and provides care and support to people living in 'supported living' settings, so that they can live in their own home as independently as possible.
People's care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people's personal care and support.
Not everyone using Alina Homecare Specialist Care Kent receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being 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. At the time of the inspection, the service was supporting 17 people with their personal care needs. People who use the service live in Maidstone, Ashford, Medway and the surrounding areas.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People had been supported to live the life they had chosen and, to weigh up the benefits and risks to decisions they made. People told us they were happy living within their homes and spoke highly of the staff, that knew them well. People were at the centre of their care and were supported to be part of their local community.
Potential risks had been mitigated and staff understood each person’s specifics risks. People were offered the opportunity to be involved in the recruitment of their staff. Support hours were planned around people’s activities at times they had specified. Checks and audits took place to promote health and safety within each service. People had been supported to budget with their finances and checks took place to identify any financial discrepancies.
People told us they felt safe and comfortable with the staff. Staff had been trained and were clear on the action to take if they suspected abuse. Potential safeguarding concerns had been reported to the local authority with an audit detailing any actions that required completing.
People had been involved in the management of their medicines. Some people had chosen to store their medicines within a medicine’s cabinet in their bedroom, whilst others were kept within a medicine cabinet within the house. Staff had been trained and followed detailed protocols for each person and their specific needs. Staff had been trained and understood the importance of reducing the risk of infection. People had been supported to understand the importance of following guidance during the pandemic.
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.
Feedback and views were sought and acted on from people, staff and relatives. There was an open, inclusive, person centred culture within the organisation where staff felt valued in their role. Services were tailored and developed to meet people’s individual needs. Staff worked in partnership with people, relatives and external health care professionals to ensure a consistent approach to meeting people’s needs.
Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service people received. A range of checks and audits were completed to ensure people received a high-quality service. Lessons were learnt and improvements were made when things went wrong. Manager’s held debriefing sessions with staff following an incident to identify any potential actions to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. People were at the centre of their care and made their own decisions, being supported to understand and weigh up and potential identified risks. The ethos of the service and care records was to support people to be as independent as possible whilst, maximising people choices.
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 16 October 2018).
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about infection control, staffing levels and the culture. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the Safe and Well-Led sections of this full report.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Alina Homecare Specialist Care- Kent on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
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.