Background to this inspection
Updated
10 December 2021
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.
Inspection team
This inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats and specialist housing.
The service did not currently have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that the provider is legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service four days’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider and their representatives would available be in the office to support the inspection. We also needed to ensure people could consent to us speaking with them. Inspection activity started on 16 November 2021 and ended when we visited the office location on 23 November 2021.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since registration. This included events reported to us such as deaths. 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 received feedback from two social workers and a health professional. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with three people who used the service and two people's relatives. We spoke with five staff including the operations' manager. We communicated with the nominated individual by e-mail. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.
We reviewed a range of records. We looked at two people’s care records and two staff files in relation to recruitment and supervision. We also looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including quality monitoring audits, incidents, staff training and supervision planning records and medicines administration records.
After the inspection
We reviewed records relating to safeguarding incidents and staff training competencies assessments.
Updated
10 December 2021
About the service
Availl (Bedford) is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in their own houses or flats. It provides a service to people who misuse drugs and alcohol, people with an eating disorder, people with mental health needs, people with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder, and people with dementia. At the time of the inspection six people were being supported by the service with personal care.
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
Staff understood how to identify and report any potential harm or the risk of this occurring. Risks to people were identified, recorded and managed. One relative told us how quickly and effectively staff responded to their family member experiencing several falls and resolving the matter.
Trained and competent staff administered and managed people’s medicines whilst promoting people’s independence to do this themselves. A robust process helped ensure staff were supported to develop skills to safely meet people's assessed needs.
There was an open culture, and lessons were learned and shared amongst the staff team, and others involved in people's care, when things went wrong.
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. A person told us about their care plan and said, "It reflects all my needs, what I can do and what staff help me to do. I do most things myself, but staff give me a choice with everything."
Staff focused on the needs of the person and respected people's choice of communication whilst also upholding confidentiality. This helped ensure every person was treated equally well.
People’s care was compassionate, respectful, and staff promoted independence and privacy as much as possible. One person told us, "Staff stand by me when I shower, help me dry my feet and legs, they give me privacy in the shower."
Concerns were acted on before they became a complaint and compliments were used to recognise good practice. Policies and procedures were in place for end of life care, and staff knew what actions to take when required.
The management team supported staff to understand and carry out their responsibilities to promote the provider’s values about being open and honest. People, their relatives and staff had a say in how the service was run and managed.
Monitoring systems and oversight of the service were effective in driving improvements. The provider worked well with others involved in people’s care to help ensure good outcomes for them.
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 2 July 2020 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the date of registration with CQC.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC 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.