Archived: Abelia Care Services Limited

Not everyone using Abelia Care Services Ltd receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

People’s experience of using this service:

People and their relatives were positive about the service and the care provided.

People were supported by staff who knew how to keep them safe and protect them from avoidable harm. Regular, knowledgeable staff met people's needs. People received their medicines regularly and systems were in place for the safe management of medicines. Incidents and accidents were investigated, and actions were taken to prevent recurrence. Staff followed infection control and prevention procedures.

People's needs were assessed, and care was delivered by staff who were well trained and knowledgeable about people's care and support needs. People had choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The management team and staff had a good understanding of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005), they had put in place the policies and systems in the service to support this.

People were cared for by staff who were kind and compassionate. People said staff were patient and caring towards them, and they felt like part of a family. People and their relatives felt involved and supported in decision making. People's privacy was respected, and their dignity maintained.

Staff were responsive to people's individual needs and wishes and had an in-depth knowledge about each person. Relatives confirmed staff knew their family members needs well. People's concerns were listened to and action was taken in a timely way.

The management team were open, approachable and focussed on providing person centred care. Systems were in place to monitor the quality of care provided. The management team and staff communicated effectively and shared a passion for quality care.

Rating at last inspection: Comprehensive inspection completed 21 April 2016. The overall rating was Good.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on previous rating of good.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our methodology. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.

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

Abelia Care Services provides personal care for people in their own homes. At this inspection they were providing care and support for 76 people.

A registered manager was in post and present during 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.

People were safe as staff had been trained and understood how to support people in a way that protected them from danger, harm and abuse. Staff had access to detailed care plans and risk assessments and were aware of how to protect people from harm. People were supported to be involved in their own assessments of risk and were encouraged to make informed decisions about their own safety.

The provider completed appropriate checks on staff before they started work to ensure they were safe to work with people. People received help with their medicine from staff who were trained to safely administer these and who made sure they had their medicine when they needed it. Staff followed safe practice when assisting people with their medicines.

People received care from staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Staff attended training that was relevant to the people they supported and adapted to meet specific needs. Staff were supported by the provider and the registered manager who promoted an open and transparent culture.

People were involved in decisions about their day to day care. When people could not make decisions for themselves staff understood the steps they needed to follow to ensure their rights were upheld. People’s likes and dislikes were known by staff who supported them in a way which was personal to them. The provider understood risks associated with social isolation and staff engaged with people appropriately.

People were supported by staff who knew them well and had good relationships with them. Staff made sure people were involved in their own care and information was given to them in a way they could understand. People’s independence was encouraged and staff respected their privacy and dignity.

People had access to healthcare when needed and staff responded to any changes in need promptly and consistently.

People and staff felt able to express their views and felt their opinions mattered. The provider and registered manager undertook regular quality checks in order to drive improvements. The provider engaged people and their families and encouraged feedback. People felt confident they were listened to and their views were valued.

People considered that the staff met their current needs and were very caring. They said, "I know who is coming and I feel safe with them in my home". People considered staff were well trained to do their job. People said the service was responsive to their changing needs.

The recruitment, induction and training of staff was organised well. The provider ensured that new staff were properly supported to provide care to vulnerable people. Staff were enabled to acquire further skills and qualifications relevant to the role they were in.

People told us they were regularly asked if their service was satisfactory. People knew how to complain and considered the level of communication with the office staff was very good. Records kept at the office were very well maintained. The provider used these and people's opinions to monitor the quality of service provision and make changes to improve the service where necessary. This meant that the service was effective and well led.

People told us they felt involved in the planning of their care and were able to choose how they wanted care to be done. People told us that staff respected their privacy and dignity.

People said they felt safe with staff from the agency. One person commented, 'The staff treat me well'. Staff told us they had received training in keeping people safe. They demonstrated an understanding of the different forms of abuse and knew the procedure to follow if they suspected abuse.

People told us they liked that staff were consistent and caring. One person said, 'The staff are brilliant and so professional". Staff told us they had attended a range of training courses to equip them with the knowledge and skills to effectively carry out their duties.

People who used the service said they felt able to raise any issues or complaints they had with the staff. The service provided people with information at the assessment stage which gave details of how to use the complaint process. The provider had systems in place to log and respond to complaints and monitor trends.