Alpenbest

Ratings

• Overall

  Good

• Safe

  Good

• Effective

  Good

• Caring

  Good

• Responsive

  Good

• Well-led

  Good

Our view of the service

Date of assessment: 19 May to 2 June 2025. Alpenbest is a care at home service providing support to people living with a range of needs, including dementia and physical disabilities. At the time of our assessment the service was providing personal care support to 350 people.

This assessment was undertaken due to a change in manager and a spike of concerns raised about the quality of care delivery. We reviewed a total of 17 quality statements across all 5 questions. We found no evidence to sustain the concerns raised.

We identified minor improvements were required to further strengthen the quality and completeness of people’s care records, ensure safeguarding reporting procedures were accessible to all and ensure an appropriate freedom to speak up guardian was nominated. The management team were open to this feedback and took prompt action after our site visit to address the concerns. Governance systems also needed to be tightened to ensure all safety concerns were reporting to the local authority safeguarding team and all statutory notifications were submitted in line with their CQC regulatory duties.

Despite the above, people received safe care that met their needs. There were systems in place to ensure they were supported by care workers that had the skills and knowledge to undertake their duties. Staff received regular training and there were various support structures in place.

Staff worked closely with health and social care professionals from several partner agencies. Feedback confirmed there was good partnership working and open communication. Staff were dedicated to developing and improving their practices and had recently launched several projects to further enhance people’s experiences of care.

A new manager was in post, who staff confirmed was approachable, accessible and supportive. Staff felt valued and acknowledged.

People's experience of this service

People were happy with the care and support they received. Everyone we spoke with emphasised the importance of having their dedicated care workers and receiving consistency and continuity of care. They had built good relationships with their care workers and enjoyed spending time with them. They told us receiving support from the same care workers helped them to feel safe as they were around people they knew. Some people commented about their care workers, “They are all brilliant!” “I couldn’t ask for a nicer bloke… his timings as well as his manners are perfect.” “I make him a cup of tea. He brings in a cake with him and we share it and we have a chat. It`s like a good friend coming.” “They are very caring. It’s the lovely way that they talk to me. They are genuinely interested in me. They care about me.” People felt involved in their care and listened to. They told us staff supported them in line with their needs and wishes. They were asked for their feedback about the service and their care needs were regularly reviewed to ensure it continued to meet their needs.