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Archived: Affinia Healthcare

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

1-16 Magnolia Court, 31 Mawney Road, Romford, Essex, RM7 7HL (01708) 752879

Provided and run by:
Mr Chinonso Kalu

Important: This service is now registered at a different address - see new profile
Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

21 October 2016

During an inspection looking at part of the service

This unannounced inspection took place on 21 October 2016. At our last inspection on 16 December 2015, we found that the provider breached regulations because people’s personal care and support records were not up-to-date. We found that there were not enough staff at all times and this could put people at risk of not receiving care and support they needed. We also found the provider's policies, procedures and documents were not always maintained and readily available. Following this inspection, the provider sent us an action plan to tell us the improvements they were going to make.

Mr Chinonso Kalu - t/a Affinia Healthcare is a domiciliary care agency providing a service to people living in supported living accommodation in the London Borough of Havering. At the time of the inspection there were 26 people using the service.

The service had a registered manager. 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 a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

During this inspection, we saw that improvements such as increasing the staffing level and updating the care plans were made. People told us that they were safe within the service. We noted the service had enough staff who were appropriately recruited, trained and supervised. People told us they were happy with the way staff treated them. They told us staff were always available when they needed support with personal care or medicine administration.

Risk assessments and care plans were completed and reviewed for people. People, their relatives and staff were involved in the review of care plans and we noted that each person's care plan reflected their assessed needs and contained guidance for staff on how to support them. People took part in various activities, which they told us that they enjoyed.

There was a good management arrangement in place. Policies and procedures were updated and made available to staff and regular staff meetings took place. The registered manager sought people's views about the quality of the service and, where needed, made improvements. People were also confident that the registered manager would deal with their complaints.

16 December 2015

During a routine inspection

We undertook an announced inspection of Mr Chinonso Kalu - t/a Affinia Healthcare Ltd on16 December 2016. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides domiciliary care services and we needed to be sure that someone would be in. At our last inspection on 6 November 2013 the service met required standards in all the areas we inspected.

Mr Chinonso Kalu - t/a Affinia Healthcare is a domiciliary care agency providing a service to people living in supported living accommodation in the London boroughs of Havering and Redbridge. At the time of the inspection there were 20 people with mental health needs using the service.

The service had a registered manager. 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 a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People and relative's views about the staffing level were varied. We found that some shifts such as on weekends were covered by one member of staff. Discussions with relatives and our review of the records showed that people were at risk because there were not enough staff deployed.

Staff told us they had support, training and supervision. We noted they had knowledge of adult safeguarding, basic food hygiene and whistle blowing. They told us how they respected and ensured people's privacy and choice. Records showed they regularly attended staff meetings. Staff were able to describe the steps they should take to protect people from abuse or to record and report appropriately if they became aware of incidents of abuse.

People told us they made their own decisions regarding various day-to-day tasks including choice of food, activities and times of going to bed or getting up. We noted there were systems in place so that the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) were implemented when required.

Each person had a care plan which stated their support needs. However, the care plans were not regularly and fully reviewed. This showed the care and support people received did not reflect their current needs.

People and relatives told us they knew how to make a complaint. They told us staff listened to them and they were happy with the way the registered manager responded to complaints.

The registered manager had systems in place for auditing and monitoring of the quality of the service. Fire safety checks, people's personal allowance and medicines were regularly audited. A survey questionnaire was distributed to people and their relatives to ask them their opinion about their experience of the service. The registered manager was analysing the response to the questionnaires at the time of the inspection and told us an action plan would be developed and shared with the stakeholders. This ensured that people's views about the quality of the service were considered and included in future improvements.

We found that although the registered manager had policies and procedures in place to assist staff decision-making when supporting people, these had not been reviewed or updated and were not organised well which made information difficult to find. We have made a recommendation about this.

We found several breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we have told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.

6 November 2013

During a routine inspection

People and their relatives told us they were always asked for consent before they received any care. One relative said "yes they always ask before they come into the flat or do anything.

People's needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan. People we spoke with told us they were happy with their care. One person said, "I am happy here thank you, I have no complaints". Another person told us,' it's ok as far as I am concerned'.

People who use the service were protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening. There was a clear safeguarding policy that was easily accessed by all staff. It contained the service provider's policy, guidelines on referral and action to take in the event of possible abuse. Staff we spoke with had a good knowledge of safeguarding issues and how to deal with incidents of possible abuse.

There was a sufficient numbers of care staff employed by the service and staffing rotas demonstrated there was a member of staff on duty at all times. There was an office at the service which was staffed 24 hours a day in case people needed support.

People who use the service, their representatives and staff were asked for their views about their care and treatment and they were acted on. Every person and relative we spoke with told us the manager and staff were approachable and saw them regularly to asked about the quality of the care provided.

8 March 2013

During a routine inspection

People who use the service understood the care and treatment choices available to them. People always had a choice about who cared for them. For instance some people chose to only have support from carers of the same sex as them. One person told us,' I get choices about support but I like to be independent.'

People told us they were happy with the care provided. One person said, 'things are fine here and I feel safe, the carers are fine'. Another said, "the staff treat me well, we went for a walk in the park and we do all sorts of things, we had a meal at the Harvester last week'.

New staff had not received training in safeguarding since joining the service. However staff we spoke with had a good knowledge of safeguarding issues and how to deal with incidents of possible abuse.

The manager said that staff were trained in a number of core areas which were, managing challenging behaviour, safeguarding, health and safety, lifting and handling, fire safety, food hygiene, equality and diversity, infection control, and mental capacity. We examined the training records for four of the ten staff and found that they had only been trained in health and safety, fire safety and food hygiene. Staff need to be trained in key areas to ensure the welfare and safety of people.