We carried out a review of the data available to us about Alina Homecare on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Alina Homecare, you can give feedback on this service.
Alina Homecare is a Domiciliary Care Agency (DCA) that provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes. 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. At the time of the inspection the service was supporting 93 people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
We found some improvements were needed to people’s records and to the audit system to ensure people’s care plans and risk assessments fully reflected people’s care and support needs.
People were supported by a kind and caring team of staff who worked hard to ensure people received the care and support they needed. The registered manager recognised that the ability to consistently provide this level of care was down to the whole staff team.
Staff knew people well and understood the risks associated with their care and support needs. Risk assessments provided further guidance about individual and environmental risks. People were supported to receive their medicines when they needed them.
People were protected from the risks of harm, abuse or discrimination because staff knew what actions they should take if they identified concerns. There were enough staff, who had been safely recruited, working to provide the support people needed, at times of their choice.
Staff received training and supervision to help them meet the needs of people. Staff told us they were able to request further training to help meet people’s needs. They said they were well supported by the registered manager and colleagues.
People were supported to maintain their health and maintain and improve their independence. Where required people were supported to eat and drink meals of their choice. People were encouraged to eat a healthy diet but individual choices were respected.
People were 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 supported this practice.
People received care and support that was personalised to their own requirements. Visits took place at a time that suited each individual. As far as possible people received support from a small team of six care staff. This meant staff knew people as individuals and were able to provide the care and support needed.
There was a positive culture at the service. The registered manager was accessible and the whole staff team worked together to improve and develop the service.
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 this service was outstanding (published 19 February 2018).
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding to test the reliability of our new monitoring approach.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
At the last inspection in March 2015, the service was rated as good in all five areas. The overall rating was good.
At this inspection, we found the service had improved and was now outstanding in two areas and good in three areas. The overall rating had improved to outstanding.
This comprehensive inspection took place on 2 November 2017 and was unannounced.
There were 130 people receiving a service from the agency. Although the majority of people using the agency received a regulated activity, some received support visits only. 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. The time of visits ranged from 15 minutes to one and quarter hours, with the frequency of visits from once a week to four times a day. There were 17 people who required two care workers at each visit to support them. There were 65 full and part-time staff employed.
There was registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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.
The care people received was outstanding. Care workers treated people with respect, dignity and compassion. They were motivated, passionate and proud of their jobs. People said care workers went ‘the extra mile’ and the agency put people at the heart of their service. They went above and beyond what was expected of them when they needed to. There were many examples of when this happened and how the agency had dealt with emergency and unusual situations in a professional, exceptionally kind and responsive way.
People were at the heart of the service. Care workers knew what mattered to people the most. They recognised how important it was for families and friends to be involved in people’s care, support and wellbeing. Two people commented, “All the staff are good … I can’t speak more highly of them … they are very caring” and I have nothing but praise for them … they are so kind and polite to me … they are lovely girls, nothing is too much trouble for them.” Care workers recognised the importance of pets in people’s lives and regularly cared and looked after them as part of the family.
People were encouraged to be as independent as possible by care workers they trusted and felt safe with. They were supported to lead as good a quality of life as possible. People were never rushed and care workers took the time to support them in the right way. People commented, “I never feel rushed … they always make sure I’ve got everything I need before they go. They are more like friends, it’s as if we’ve known each other for years … they’d do anything for me” and “They’re lovely girls … I’m lucky to have them.”
Care workers treated people equally, irrespective of their beliefs, opinions or preferences. Meaningful relationships had been developed between people, their relatives and staff. People felt comfortable and trusted the care workers who came into their home. Caring for people’s wellbeing was an important part of the agencies philosophy. People had a regular team of care workers and felt they had become part of the extended family. A relative said, “… I’ve seen them (staff) with her and they hold her hand as they talk to her. It’s like having extended family.”
Regular social activities, events and networks were planned by the agency throughout the year. People who lived in isolation were encouraged to attend and the agency fostered strong links with the local community. The agency regularly supported charity events and raised money for these events.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Care workers had received training on the Mental Capacity Act 2005. They ensured people were asked for their consent before they carried out any care or support.
People were cared for by care workers who were aware of their safeguarding responsibilities. Staff had received training in how to safeguard people from potential abuse and knew how to identify the risks associated with abuse. Care workers were safely recruited, trained and supervised in their work. They enjoyed their jobs, felt included and listened to in the running of the agency. Staff were recognised for achievements in their work and learning. Regular incentives were given to show staff they were valued and appreciated. Annual awards ceremonies were held where staff were presented with awards and certificates in recognition of their work.
Each person had risk assessments and a care plan in place. People and their families were involved in the planning of their care and these were regularly reviewed. When changes in care support were required, these were carried out in a timely way. Comments included, “They don’t just say they will see what they can arrange, they get it sorted when I need extra support” and “We are kept updated and reviews are regular either all together or on the phone.”
Care workers had been trained to give people their medicines safely and ensured medication administration records were kept up to date. Care workers supported people to eat a nutritious diet with food and drinks of their choice. In between care visits, care workers always made sure people had snacks and drinks available.
The leadership and management of the service was outstanding. People had confidence in the management of the service and the registered manager acted as a role model for the staff team. People and their relatives told us the service was very well led and that they were provided with a high level of service. People knew how to voice any concerns and had confidence they would be listened to and resolved. The registered manager and care workers delivered a service where the emphasis was placed on enhancing people’s lives by providing outstanding care and support. They took into account people’s individual choices and preferences at all times. Comments included, “I think the office is excellent and the manager is very kind and organised”, “The manager always has time to listen to you” and “The manager is organised and proactive and I find she is a good listener and gives accurate advice.”
The provider was committed to continual improvement and governance was embedded in every part of the service. There were extremely comprehensive quality monitoring systems and processes in place which were robust and regularly carried out by a variety of senior staff. These drove continual improvement of the service.
We inspected Alina Homecare on the 9 March 2015 and it was an announced inspection. Alina Homecare is a new organisation that has only been running just over a year. Within the past year, other branches of Alina Homecare have opened in the South East.
Alina Homecare (Brighton) is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care for a range of people living in their own homes. These included people living with dementia, older people, people with a physical disability, substance misuse and people with mental health needs. At the time of our inspection, the service was supporting up to 70 people and employed 30 members of staff.
A registered manager was in post. 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, relatives and staff spoke highly of the service. One person told us, “They are part of the family now.” Another person told us, “I have nothing but good words.” A relative told us, “I would recommend them to anyone.”
People told us they received their care calls consistently and always received the care they needed. Risks to people were assessed and monitored to ensure action was taken to avoid accidents and the deterioration of people’s health. The service had recruited a sufficient number of suitably qualified staff to meet people’s needs. Recruitment practice was robust and protected people from the risk of receiving support from staff who were unsuitable. People received the support they required with their medicines.
Staff received regular training and were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities. They had the skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their care and support needs. Staff commented they felt valued and enjoyed working for Alina Homecare. The provider recognised staff’s on-going commitment and hard work.
The service was responsive to people’s individual needs. Staff were able to accommodate last minute changes to care calls or requests for urgent care calls. Staff regularly fed-back concerns to the registered manager and office staff. Where people’s health needs had deteriorated, the provider was able to increase people’s packages of care in a timely manner.
Staff knew how to support people and help maintain their safety. They understood their responsibility to protect people from harm and abuse and they felt able to report any concerns appropriately.
People confirmed staff respected their privacy and dignity. Staff had a firm understanding of respecting people within their own home and providing them with choice and control. The service had identified people’s needs and preferences in order to plan and deliver their care. People said the service met their needs and encouraged them to be as independent as possible. People were asked for their views of the service and said they knew how to make a complaint about the service if they needed to.
The ethos, values and visions of Alina Homecare was embedded into everyday care practice. The organisation had a strong vision on providing care calls which promoted people’s emotional needs and ensuring people received companionship throughout the day.
The provider was innovative and creative in how they enabled people to feel part of the organisation. Parties were held for people, their relatives and staff to attend. These enabled people to meet all members of staff, other people receiving care and to also promote socialisation and feel involved in the running of the organisation.