Archived: Allied Healthcare - Newcastle

' Is the service caring?

' Is the service responsive?

' Is the service safe?

' Is the service effective?

' Is the service well led?

This is a summary of what we found-

Is the service safe?

People using the service and their carers or relatives confirmed that they generally felt safe with the care staff or that their relatives were safe, but that they would certainly be confident to take action if they felt any abuse was taking place. They told us their workers appeared very honest and protected their finances by, for example, always providing receipts for any shopping.

A member of the management team was available on call in case of emergencies.

People's medicines were not always being administered safely and appropriately. We have asked the provider to tell us how they will meet the requirements of the law in relation to the safe handling of people's medicines.

The risks associated with giving or receiving care and support were fully assessed before a service was started, and risk assessments were regularly updated.

Is the service effective?

People told us the service gave them the opportunity to remain in their own homes, despite many being very elderly and/or having a disability. People confirmed that they felt the service was generally beneficial for them, and told us the company and friendliness of staff was a major positive feature of their day and contributed towards their general health and well-being. One person said, 'They do the job properly once they arrive including making sure that I'm washed and dried properly and they are always polite, careful and respectful.'

People told us they mostly got the help they required and said that, overall, their care was good. They spoke highly of their regular care workers, with comments such as 'My carer is excellent. She knows exactly what she's doing', and, 'The carers who come are wonderful. They check on how we are as well as doing the work they do.'

However, there were many comments about workers not always being on time (although they normally stayed for the agreed duration) and there were concerns about some replacement workers not always knowing how to meet their needs. We have asked the provider to tell us what they are going to do to meet the requirements of the law in relation to the arrangements for providing appropriate staff at the agreed times.

It was clear from our observations and from speaking with staff that they had a good understanding of the care and support needs of the people they regularly cared for, and that they knew them well. One person using the service told us, 'Any care they have provided seems to be done to the right procedures.' Another commented, "My regular [carer] respects my home and is more like a friend than someone working. The lady is really good at the job and will do anything extra.'

Staff had received training to meet the needs of the people using the service.

Is the service caring?

There was substantial evidence that staff were caring in how they assisted and spoke with people using the service, and that they respected the dignity, views and choices of both the people using the service and their relatives. People told us they were supported by kind and attentive staff, who showed patience and gave encouragement when supporting them. People told us they were able to do things at their own pace and were not rushed. One person said, 'All the carers are nice and pleasant'. Another person said, 'We have a good rapport with our care worker.' A third person commented, 'My carers are very patient and kind.'

Is the service responsive?

People's needs had been assessed before they started receiving a service. People told us they had been asked for their views and these had been recorded. Records confirmed people's preferences, interests and needs had been recorded and care and support had been provided in accordance with their wishes.

People using the service and their relatives told us their care workers were able to respond to medical needs or emergencies. One person said, ' Staff will call the doctor for me if they think it's needed. One time they called, I was unwell and they called the doctor out.'

People told us the support they received from the office was good, with comments such as 'They are nice and polite', and, 'They get things done.' Several people, however, told us messages were not always passed on or acted upon, resulting in care workers still attending when the call had been cancelled.

Care workers told us the new manager was a 'good listener' and 'got things done'.

Is the service well-led?

The service had a registered manager in place. Staff spoke highly of the manager, and said she always took their views into consideration. One care worker told us, 'The new manager is very good. She's a good listener and she's doing a good job.' Another worker said, 'She's brilliant. I feel a big difference since she's started." Both staff and people using the service thought that improvements were being made to the service.

The most recent internal audit carried out by the company had identified improvements in most areas of service provision since the current manager took up post.

Effective quality assurance processes were in place. People who used the service were asked for their views about their care and treatment and their views were acted upon. One person told us, 'I have no complaints at all. If they were rude I would complain, but they are lovely, they treat you like a person, not just like a feeble old person.'

People's assessed needs were addressed using detailed, person-centred care plans that incorporated the individual's wishes and preferences about how their care should be given. Risks to people who used the service, and risks to staff, were carefully assessed and appropriate actions taken to reduce possible harm.

Staff had been trained in the recognition and reporting of abuse. Systems were in place for the reporting of safeguarding issues, and records showed that relevant information was always shared with the local authority safeguarding team.

The recruitment and selection of new staff was carried out in a professional manner. Appropriate checks were undertaken to protect people using the service from unsafe workers.

A range of systems were in place to test and maintain the quality of the service being offered to people who used the service. People reported a high degree of satisfaction with their regular care workers.

There had been significant improvements to the quality of the records kept regarding people's personal care and regarding the management of the service.