Background to this inspection
Updated
1 March 2023
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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
One inspector, carried out 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.
Registered Manager
This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with the registered manager and 1 member of staff. We received feedback from 3 relatives of people using the service. We reviewed a range of records. This included 4 people’s care records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and the quality of the service were reviewed.
This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We used technology such as video calls to enable us to engage with people and their relatives using the service and staff, and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation. Inspection activity started on 5 October 2022 and ended on 12 October 2022.
Updated
1 March 2023
About the service
Agape Care Agency Limited is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to adults in their homes. At the time of our inspection there were 4 people using 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
Assessments were in place to identify risks that impacted on people’s lives and well-being. We found risk management plans did not always provide staff with detailed guidance on how to support people safely to reduce those risks.
The registered manager did not always effectively review and monitor the service and care workers to ensure people received care and support that was of a good standard. Infection prevention and control practices did not consider national guidance to reduce the risks of infection.
People were not always supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did not support this practice.
People had care assessments that identified their care and support needs but these were not always person centred. The registered manager did not fully understand the requirements of Accessible Information Standard guidance.
Medicines were managed safely and staff were trained to administer medicines. Staff maintained medicine administration records and these were reviewed and checked for accuracy.
Staff were recruited following safe processes and enough staff were available to meet people’s assessed care and support needs. Staff understood abuse, had completed safeguarding training and knew how to report concerns. Staff had ongoing training to help them in their jobs.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 14 October 2021, and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Enforcement and Recommendations
We have identified breaches in relation to safe care and treatment and quality monitoring at this inspection. We made a recommendation about person centred care planning, infection prevention, mental capacity and the Accessible Information Standard.
Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.