The AICS Group

Updated 8 February 2020

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

One inspector undertook this inspection.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection

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

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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.

During the inspection

We met the registered manager at the office location on the 19 and 21 November 2019 and spoke with the managing director, service manager, two package managers, recruitment manager, administrator, accounts officer, trainer facilitator, co-ordinator and two support workers. We also spoke with a visiting case manager.

We looked at the care records for three people who used the service, and five staff recruitment, training and support records. We also reviewed records of safeguarding adults, complaints, incidents, accidents and quality monitoring.

After the inspection

On the 16th December 2019 we telephoned and attempted to speak with 12 people or their representatives. We were successful at speaking with one person who used the service and six relatives of other people. We also spoke with a support worker who acted as an advocate for a person using the service.

Updated 8 February 2020

About the service

The AICS Group provides care at home to people. They provide the regulated service of personal care to children and adults living with acquired brain injuries.

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. At the time of our inspection whilst 51 people were receiving a service from the agency, only 14 people received the regulated activity of personal care.

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

All people and relatives described staff as caring and kind. Most relatives had a consistent care worker team who were experienced and reliable. However, one relative whilst they had reliable permanent staff member had experienced cover staff who did not attend as arranged. They had asked the provider to address this.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice

People had detailed person-centred care plans and risk assessments that outlined how they wanted their care to be provided. Information in the plans gave good guidance for staff to mitigate the risk of harm.

Care workers worked in partnership with a multi-disciplinary health team which was co-ordinated by a case manager for the benefit of people using the service. Regular training was provided for staff to help ensure they had the necessary skills to work with everyone.

The management team undertook spot checks to help ensure staff maintained good practice and spoke with case managers, people and relatives to get their feedback. People, relatives and staff found the registered manager approachable and responsive when they raised concerns.

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 on 27 April 2017 was good (published on 22 June 2017).

At this inspection. We rated the service good in safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Therefore, we found the service good overall.

There was a failure to display the current CQC ratings on their website. This is a legal requirement. They had instead a previous report displayed from an inspection in 2015. We will follow this up with the provider.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating

Please see the sections of this full report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to ensure their current report is published on their website.