Archived: Allied Healthcare Wirral

Updated 16 November 2018

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.

This inspection took place on 20 September 2018 and was announced. We gave 24 hours’ notice as this was a domiciliary care company and we needed to be sure that they would be in as the registered manager sometime carries out care or supports staff in the community.

During our inspection we visited the office location to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures. We also contacted people supported by the service by telephone to gather their feedback.

The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector and an expert by experience contacted people using the service by telephone. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Prior to our inspection, we requested the provider to complete 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. This was completed by the registered manager.

We reviewed all the information which the Care Quality Commission already held on Allied Healthcare, such as intelligence, statutory notifications and/or any information received from third parties. We also contacted the local authority to obtain their view of the quality of care delivered by the service. We took any information provided to us into account.

During the inspection, we spoke with five staff as well as the registered manager and area manager. Furthermore, we also contacted seven people and seven relatives via the telephone to seek their feedback on the service.

We also looked at eight staff files, nine care files and other records relating to the management of the service. Records included training information, complaints and auditing processes.

Updated 16 November 2018

The inspection took place on the 20 September 2018 and was announced.

This was the first inspection of Allied Healthcare since moving premises.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses in the community. It provides a service to people living with dementia, learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder as well as younger and older adults with physical disabilities, sensory impairments or complex health care needs.

Not everyone using Allied Healthcare receives a regulated activity. CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; such as 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 our inspection, the service was providing 'personal care' to 187 people who were living in their own homes within the Wirral area.

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 service had a registered manger in post.

We found that recruitment practices were in place which included the completion of pre-employment checks prior to a new member of staff working at the service. However, we found that although new staff who had convictions on their criminal records check underwent a provider ‘panel’ meeting to ensure their suitability to work, they did not have risk assessments in place. This meant that the registered manager did not have the documentation in place to effectively monitor and support the staff member.

Risks to people's safety and well-being had been identified and plans put in place to minimise risk. However, we looked at the daily logs for four people and we identified that one of these showed staff had been completing tasks that had not been risk assessed or care planned.

The provider had systems in place to ensure that people were protected from the risk of harm or abuse. We saw there were policies and procedures in place to guide staff in relation to safeguarding adults and whistleblowing. Staff received regular training and supervision to enable them to work safely and effectively.

The care records we looked at contained good information about the support people required and recognised people's needs. All records we saw were complete, up to date and regularly reviewed. We found that people were involved in decisions about their care and support. We also saw that medications were handled appropriately and safely.

People were positive about the approach and attitude of staff. We were told that staff respected people and protected their dignity.

An accessible complaints procedure had been developed and people had been provided with a copy of the complaints procedure for reference. People told us they knew how to complain in the event they needed to raise a concern.

Policies and procedures were in place and updated, such as safeguarding, complaints, medication and other health and safety topics. Infection control standards were monitored and managed appropriately. There was an infection control policy in place to minimise the spread of infection, all staff had attended infection control training and were provided with appropriate personal protective equipment such as gloves and aprons.