Archived: Advantage Healthcare - Peterborough

We used the information to answer the five questions we always ask;

Is the service caring?

People told us that the staff respected their choices and wishes about how they wanted to be looked after. They also told us that they were satisfied with the standard and quality of their support and care.

Is the service responsive?

We found that people's individual physical and social support, care and treatment needs were assessed and planned for.

People said that their call visits had helped them stay well. They said that this was because members of staff had treated them well and that they knew how to look after them.

There was a system in place which effectively responded to people's concerns and complaints. People told us that they were satisfied with how they were looked after, but they said they knew who to speak with, if needed.

Is the service safe?

There was a sufficient number of trained and competent staff to look after people safely during the times that they were expected to work. People who used the service told us that they trusted staff members and this had made them feel that they were in safe hands.

Health and safety risk assessments were carried out and measures were in place to minimise these risks to keep people safe from harm.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards which applies to care services. While no applications have needed to be submitted, policies and procedures were in place. Relevant staff have been trained to understand when an application should be made, and how to submit one.

Is the service effective?

People told us that the standard and quality of the support, care and treatment had allowed them to stay at home, rather than be admitted to hospital for treatment, or to be looked after in a care home.

People who used the service had their individual choices and preferences, regarding their support, care and treatment, valued and respected.

Is the service well led?

People were provided with safe and appropriate support, care and treatment to meet their individual health and social care needs.

Quality assurance systems were in place for people to share their views about the standard and quality of the service. In addition, there were effective systems in place to respond to people's concerns and complaints. Work was in progress to analyse and use information regarding accidents, incidents and complaints, as part of the provider's quality assurance system.

On 20 February 2014 we served a fixed penalty notice to Advantage Healthcare Nursing and Care Limited for failing to have a registered manager in place at Advantage Healthcare ' Peterborough. A fine of '4000 was paid. We have taken further action with regard to this and will report the details when it is complete.

We spoke with three relatives and one person who used the service, one person told us 'They are a fantastic company'. We noted that care plans provided step by step guidance and that they were reviewed every six to 12 months or when it was required.

The provider had a robust system to manage medication safely and there was a policy in place for staff to follow.

We saw that copies of staff certificates were also kept within people's care files so people could be assured that they were being cared for by skilled and experienced staff.

We spoke with five staff members who told us they were happy working for Advantage Healthcare - Peterborough, they felt supported by their manager and were able to discuss matters at any time.

People we spoke with told us that they were asked to complete a feedback questionnaire on an annual basis. One person said "You can always ring the office and they will deal with any problems you have straight away".

We looked at a sample of care plans which had been regularly reviewed to ensure that staff had accurate guidance reflecting the care each person needed.

There were safeguarding procedures and training in place for staff to ensure that vulnerable adults and children were protected from harm or abuse.

The agency had a thorough recruitment procedure to ensure that only staff suitable to work with vulnerable people were employed.

Quality assurance procedures were in place to monitor the effectiveness of the agency's services. The opinions of people using the agency's services were sought to ensure that any concerns or changes were identified and actioned.