Background to this inspection
Updated
11 July 2023
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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
The inspection team consisted of 1 inspector and an Expert by Experience who made phone calls to people and relatives. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
Registered Manager
This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection as we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 22 May 2023 and ended on 12 June 2023. We visited the location’s office on 24 May 2023.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and other professionals who worked with the service and received feedback from 2 professionals. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
The inspection
During our office visit we spoke with the registered manager, the care manager and other office staff. We reviewed a range of records relating to the management of the service, including 3 people's care records, 3 staff files, and training and quality assurance records. We spoke to or had email contact with 6 staff.
The Expert by Experience spoke with 3 people who use the service and 6 relatives to gather their feedback on the quality of care provided. During the inspection, the provider sent us additional information by email, as requested.
Updated
11 July 2023
About the service
Abundant Care is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of inspection, the service was providing personal care to 29 people. This includes people being supported through the reablement service. This service provides time limited support to assist people coming out of hospital to regain as much of their independence as possible.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. 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
Feedback from people and their representatives about the care provided was largely positive.
The provider had resolved the concerns raised at our last inspection. They had worked well with the local authority to improve their systems and ensure the registered manager had oversight of the service. The provider had recruited new senior staff, including a care manager who were committed to driving improvements.
Senior staff had introduced a range of quality checks which helped monitor care and ensure staff met people’s needs safely. Concerns were dealt with promptly.
Recruitment processes had improved. The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs in an unrushed manner and keep them safe. Staff morale was good and staff were positive about the changes at the service.
Risk assessments and care plans had been improved to provide staff with detailed, personalised guidance on how to support people safely. No one at the service was receiving end of life care. We made a recommendation around improving end of life care plans.
Safeguarding practices had improved to help protect people from the risk of abuse. Staff had improved training and guidance to ensure they supported people to take their medicines safely, and as prescribed. Staff minimised the risk of infection.
The registered manager had improved training and supervision to enable staff to develop their skills and provide good quality care. Staff supported people to eat and drink in line with their preferences. They worked well with people, families and professionals, referring where necessary when there were concerns about people's health and wellbeing.
Staff were compassionate and committed to the people they supported. Staff were encouraged by senior staff to spend time getting to know people and provide unrushed care. Care was reviewed regularly and adapted as people’s circumstances changed,
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.
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 requires improvement (published 4 August 2021).
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.