Archived: Allcare Community Care Services

Updated 24 March 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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 was a comprehensive or focused inspection:

This inspection took place on 1 and 2 March and was announced.

The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service; we needed to be sure that someone would be available.

The inspection team consisted of an adult social care inspector 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.

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held on Allcare. This included notifications we had received from the provider, about incidents that affect the health, safety and welfare of people who received a service. We also reviewed the Provider Information Record (PIR) we received prior to the inspection. 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 provided us with information and numerical data about the operation of the service.

We spoke with a range of people about the service including 14 people who used the service, two relatives, and six staff members including the registered manager. The majority of people were contacted by telephone but we did visit two people who had agreed to us calling to their home. In addition questionnaires were returned by 21 people who received a service, a relative and 10 staff members. We also contacted the commissioning team of the local authority. This helped us to gain a balanced overview of what people experienced receiving a service from Allcare.

We looked at the care records of four people who received a service, four staff files including staff training and recruitment records and records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 24 March 2017

Allcare is a domiciliary care agency based in Southport, Merseyside. It provides personal care and support services to people in their own homes in Southport and surrounding area. At the time of our inspection the organisation was providing support to over 120 people.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated good.

Staff were safely recruited and deployed in sufficient numbers to meet the needs of people using the service. Staff responsible for assisting people with their medicines had received medicines training to ensure they were competent and skilled to do so.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff received appropriate training and support which allowed them to meet people’s needs effectively. People were supported to maintain a healthy diet and to access healthcare services.

Staff we spoke with demonstrated a genuine positive regard for the people they supported. People received support from the same staff which provided consistency of care and they were familiar with the staff. People told us that staff supported them in a respectful and dignified manner and their privacy was maintained.

The care records that we saw clearly demonstrated that people had been involved in the planning of their care. People’s wishes were clearly recorded in files and regularly reviewed. People told us they had been consulted about the care that was provided for them.

People who used the service knew how they could make a complaint. A copy of the complaints procedure was displayed in the office and in the service user and staff handbook.

Staff told us they were supported through regular supervision and annual appraisals.

The provider encouraged people and their families to provide feedback through a range of formal and informal mechanisms. The registered manager had systems in place to monitor quality and drive improvement. Quality and safety audits were completed on a regular basis.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.