We carried out a review of the data available to us about Active Support Service Ltd on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Active Support Service Ltd, you can give feedback on this service.
Active Support Service Ltd is a domiciliary care agency providing support and/or personal care to people who live in their own homes. At the time of the inspection, 12 people were receiving personal care from the service.
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
People received safe care and were protected against avoidable harm, abuse, neglect and discrimination. Risks to people’s safety were assessed and strategies were put in place to reduce the risks.
Safe recruitment practices ensured only suitable staff worked at the service and staff were employed in sufficient numbers to meet people’s needs.
Where the provider took on the responsibility, people’s medicines were safely managed.
Staff received training that enabled them to have the skills and knowledge to provide effective care.
Staff received ongoing support from the registered manager and wider management team.
Where the provider took on the responsibility, people were supported to maintain good nutrition and hydration.
People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect.
Staff encouraged people to maintain their independence, and supported people to access the community and pursue their interests.
Care plans reflected people’s individual needs and preferences, and were updated as required.
People and their relatives told us they were involved in the care planning and reviews of their care.
People's needs were assessed, and the care provided met their needs.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible.
Systems were in place to continuously monitor the quality of the service.
The service worked in partnership with outside agencies.
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 Good (published 1 February 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.
There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
The provider was also the registered manager; they were closely involved in the day to day running of the service and routinely monitored people’s care. This meant that they were able to address any concerns regarding the quality of the service provided as they arose.
The provider had values and a clear vision that was person centred and focussed on enabling people to live at home. All staff demonstrated a commitment to providing a service for people that met their individual needs. People had positive relationships with staff.
Recruitment procedures protected people from receiving unsafe care from support staff that were unsuitable to work at the service. People received care from staff that had the appropriate skills and knowledge to meet their needs. All staff had undergone a comprehensive induction and thorough practical and theoretical training. Staff received updates to their training and regular supervisions. Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities in caring for people and received regular support from the provider.
There were systems in place to manage medicines safely and people had specific risk assessments and care plans relating to the provision of their medicines.
People were protected from harm arising from poor practice or abuse; there were clear safeguarding procedures in place for care staff to follow if they were concerned about people’s safety. Staff understood the need to protect people from harm and knew what action they should take if they had any concerns.
People were actively involved in decisions about their care and support needs as much as they were able. Staff were aware of their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA2005) and applied their knowledge appropriately. There was a Mental Capacity policy and procedure for staff to follow to assess whether people had the capacity to make decisions for themselves.
Care records contained individual risk assessments and risk management plans to protect people from identified risks and help to keep them safe. They provided information to staff about action to be taken to minimise any risks whilst allowing people to be as independent as possible.
Care plans were written in a person centred approach and detailed how people wished to be supported and where possible people were involved in making decisions about their care. People participated in a wide range of activities and received the support they needed to help them do this. People were able to choose where they spent their time and what they did.
Staff were aware of the importance of managing complaints promptly and in line with the provider’s policy. Staff and people were confident that issues would be addressed and that any concerns they had would be listened to.