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Archived: Ashley Care LLP

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

22 Pembury Road, Westcliff On Sea, Essex, SS0 8DS (01702) 348142

Provided and run by:
Ashley Care LLP

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

5 January 2015

During a routine inspection

Ashley Care LLP provides a personal care service for adults who live in their own homes in the Southend on Sea area.

This inspection took place on 5 January 2015.

At our last inspection on 16 December 2013 we asked the provider to take action to make improvements to their complaints system. The provider sent us an action plan and at this inspection they had completed the action in the plan.

The registered manager has been in post since the service was first registered. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us that they were happy with the service they received and that it was ‘first rate.’ They felt safe when the agency’s staff were in their homes. Staff were kind and caring and that they treated them with dignity and respect.

Staff had a good knowledge about how to safeguard people from abuse and they had received regular training and updates to refresh their knowledge. Risks to people’s health and well-being had been assessed and were well managed.

Staff were well trained, supervised and supported to do their work. There was a good recruitment process in place and staff did not start work until all of their pre-employment checks had been carried out. Although there was generally sufficient staff working for the agency there were some problems at weekends or when staff were off sick or on annual leave. The manager had employed more staff to help alleviate this problem and recruitment was on-going.

Medication practice was good. Staff who administered medication had been trained and their competence to administer it had been checked.

People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts to meet their needs. Staff had a good knowledge about people’s needs and preferences. The service was responsive to people’s changing needs and ensured that they were met. People knew how to complain and the service had dealt with their complaints appropriately.

The service was well-led and provided people with good quality care. The quality assurance system was effective and improvements had been made as a result of learning from people’s views and opinions.

29 November and 16 December 2013

During a routine inspection

People we spoke with and those acting on their behalf told us that they were generally happy with the level of service, care and support they received from Ashley Care. People said that when supported by their regular care staff that they received a reliable service, which met their needs.

We found that there were arrangements in place for assessing the needs of people who used the service and planning the delivery of care and support based on each person's need. Where possible people using the service, or those acting on their behalf were involved in making decisions about how care and support was delivered. Risks to the health, safety and welfare of people using the service were assessed and there were arrangements for minimising these risks so far as it was possible.

There were arrangements in place for protecting people who used the service from the risk of abuse. Staff received training and had access to appropriate policies and procedures to assist them in recognising and reporting any concerns about the safety and welfare of people who used the service.

Staff were recruited robustly with all of the appropriate checks such as employment references obtained before they started working for the service.

The service had arrangements for dealing with and responding to complaints. These required improvements to ensure that all complaints and concerns raised about the service were dealt with appropriately.

16 October 2012

During a routine inspection

People told us that overall they were happy with the services they received from Ashley Care Limited Liability Partnership. People told us that they received good consistent care when their regular carers attended to them. They told us that there were some issues, mainly late or missed visits at times when their carer was unavailable. People told us that improvements had been made in this area in recent months,

We saw that there were arrangements in place to address concerns raised by people who were using the service. Complaints and concerns were responded to appropriately and people's views were taken into account in how the service was delivered and managed.

There was an ongoing recruitment plan in place to help address areas of concern about missed and late visits and this was being monitored regularly.

People had a plan of care, which included details of the support they received, time and length of visit. Regular care reviews were carried out to monitor the service provided.

20 October 2011

During a routine inspection

People who use the service told us that they were generally happy with the service they received form Ashley Care. Some people told us that staff were kind and respectful towards those that they were caring for. People told us that problems arose when their main carers were not available. Some people said that on these occasions they often felt that they were not listened to. Some people told us that when new staff arrive that they do not seem to know what they are doing and that some do not read the care plans even when they have asked them to do so.

People told us that when they had their regular care worker that their needs were met as expected. However people told us that the service provided at weekends or when their regular care worker was unavailable due to planned holiday or sickness was variable. People said that did not always receive the level of care and support that they expected or required.

People told us that they receive surveys or questionnaire to complete or had meetings with Ashley Care to discuss the care they received. Some people felt that they were listened to, but others felt it was a waste of time, and nothing changed.

People told us that they were generally happy with the way their complaints were received and handled. One person told us ''Staff are usually very helpful if I have any complaints or concerns and they put things right very quickly''.

20 January 2011

During an inspection in response to concerns

We received varied comments from people who use the service and staff who work for the agency.

We spoke with five people who use the service. One person commented that 'they were very impressed overall with the service'. They told us 'The agency is really good; even in the recent bad weather they were never late'. Another person told us 'When we get our regular carer everything is fine. However on occasions my morning caller comes at lunchtime and often the office rings to say there is no carer today because of sickness. This happens quite often'. One person who uses the service said 'Mostly carers turn up on time. Overall it is ok'.

One relative told us 'The regular carer is consistent and caring, but others are just in and out and, on occasions, staff have not turned up and nobody contacted us to let us know'. Of the five people we spoke with, two said that staff read the care plan but also commented 'Some staff don't seem to have a clue what they are doing at times'. Three of the five people using the service told us that staff usually do everything according to the care plan

We spoke with four members of staff. Two said that they were not always given enough information about the person they were to support. Both said that they were regularly asked to pick up extra work and said that they rarely were given enough information about these people. One member of staff told us 'We are always pushed to take on extra work but we do not have any details about the care needed so I end up going in blind, so to speak'.

Each of the five people using the service with whom we spoke told us that staff were respectful and treated them well.

Each of the four members of staff we spoke with told us that they had received safeguarding training and that they knew how to recognise signs of abuse and would report these immediately to office staff.

Three staff members with whom we spoke commented that they were usually asked to take on extra visits. They told us that they would fit these into their normal schedule and this often meant that the visits were much later than the person would expect. Two members of staff told us that they were aware of a number of incidents where visits were cancelled by clients because they were too late and of occasions where no visit was carried out due to lack of staff. Three member of staff told us that late and missed calls were a regular occurrence.

Two people with whom we spoke told us that when they have raised concerns or complaints they were assured that someone would look into the issues and 'get back to them'. However, both said that this did not happen and that they had to 'chase' the office staff for a result. People told us that complaints they made were about late or missed calls and lack of communication from office staff. One person said 'Sometimes I don't think they take some of our complaints seriously'.

Each of the five people we spoke with told us that they knew how to make a complaint and had information and telephone numbers to contact the agency if they wished to raise any concerns.