Ali Gibson Support Limited

Updated 18 November 2022

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 Act.

Inspection team

This inspection was completed by two inspectors and an Expert by Experience. 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 homes.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with CQC to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post. A new manager had also started working at the service and they were in the process of applying to register with CQC.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 31 October 2022 and ended on 2 November 2022. We spoke with people who used the service, their relatives and staff over the telephone on 31 October 2022 and 1 November 2022. We visited the location’s office on 2 November 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since it registered with CQC. We sought feedback from the local authority, professionals who work with the service and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 8 people who used the service and 6 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 7 members of staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 3 people’s care records and medication records. We looked at 4 staff files in relation to recruitment, supervision and training. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 18 November 2022

About the service

Ali Gibson Support Limited is a domiciliary care service which provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes. The service provides support to adults with a range of care and support needs, some of whom are living with dementia.

At the time of our inspection there were 93 people using the service. However, not everyone who used the service received the regulated activity of personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do receive personal care, we also consider any wider social care provided. There were 23 people receiving personal care at the time of this inspection.

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

People and their relatives were happy with the service they received from Ali Gibson Support Limited. Everyone we spoke with said they would recommend the service to others.

People felt safe when receiving care from the service. The provider completed a range of pre-employment checks to assure themselves staff were suitable to work at the service. Some of these checks needed to be more robust, however the manager agreed to address this issue. There were enough staff employed to meet people’s needs. Staff arrived at people’s scheduled care visits on time and delivered person-centred care to each person.

Most risks to people were assessed and managed well. Minor improvements were needed to some aspects of the provider’s risk assessment processes, to ensure all risks to people were thoroughly considered and mitigated. Accidents and incidents were managed appropriately. People received effective support with their medicines and there were suitable measures in place to prevent the spread of infections.

People’s needs were assessed to check the service was suitable for them. People were involved in this process and they told us they received care which met their preferences. People were happy with the support they received with food and fluids. 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.

Everyone we spoke with told us staff were kind and caring. Staff treated people with dignity and respect, and they supported people to remain as independent as possible. People’s relatives told us staff were good at communicating with people and this supported them to remain involved in decisions about their care.

The service was flexible and responsive to people’s changing needs. The provider had an appropriate complaints procedure in place and people knew how to complain if they needed to. The provider had systems in place to ensure people received compassionate and coordinated support at the end of their lives.

Staff were supported to deliver high quality care. Senior staff and managers closely monitored how the service was being delivered, to help ensure people were receiving safe, good quality care.

The service had an open, transparent culture. People, their relatives and staff all had opportunities to provide feedback about the service. Staff enjoyed their jobs and were all keen to deliver high-quality care. The service worked alongside other professionals to help ensure people received effective care and support.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 23 October 2020 and this was the first inspection.

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, which will help inform when we next inspect.