Archived: A&A Healthcare Services Ltd

At the time of inspection there were seven people who used the service of which two people received personal care. We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. 'Right support, right care, right culture' is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

At the time of the inspection, A & A Healthcare Services Ltd provided support with social inclusion for some people with a learning disability and /or autistic people but did not provide them with personal care. However, we assessed the care provision under right support, right care, right culture, as it registered as a specialist service for this population group. The provider was not able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. We signposted the provider to relevant information.

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

The service was being managed on a day to day basis by an acting manager and governance systems were in place to provide oversight of the service and its performance. Audits and spot checks were undertaken, and information collated to identify shortfalls. The systems were not however robust, and they had not identified some of the shortfalls we found such as gaps in staff training and knowledge. We have made a recommendation about strengthening these processes.

Right Support: Staff skills and knowledge needed further development in key areas to support people effectively and in line with the principles of Right support, right care and right culture.

Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Right Care: Care was person-centred and promoted people's dignity and privacy.

Right Culture: Improvements were needed in staff training and governance to ensure the attitudes and behaviours of management and staff ensured people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives.

We have made a recommendation the provider fully assesses the care and support provision at A & A Healthcare Services Ltd to embed the principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Risks to people had been identified and assessed. People received their medicines as prescribed.

People were supported by staff who had been safely recruited and attended care and support visits when they were supposed to. Staff knew when and where staff were visiting, as their rotas were planned in advance.

Staff received training when they commenced employment but there were gaps in the training provision and in staff knowledge and practice, in areas such as infection control. We have a made a recommendation about staff training.

People were supported to eat and drink where they required this assistance. There were clear arrangements in place to access emergency health support when this was required.

People's relatives were generally complimentary about the care provided and told us that people were respected and included as much as they wanted to be in their care delivery.

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 the service at the previous premises was good, published on 09 August 2018.

This is the first inspection for this service at this location.

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.