Archived: Aspire Support

Updated 29 December 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection was announced to make sure the staff we needed to speak with were available and took place on 14 and 21 November 2016. One inspector undertook the inspection.

Before the inspection, we reviewed the information we held about the organisation including the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed feedback from CQC questionnaires that had been sent out to community professionals prior to the inspection.

We visited one person in their own home and spoke to another person on the telephone to learn about their viewpoint of the service they received from Aspire Support. We also spoke with three members of staff and the provider.

We looked at two people’s care and support records in full as well as a sample of records kept in people’s homes. We also looked at records relating to how the service was managed. These included three staff recruitment records, training records, audits and quality assurance records as well as a range of the provider’s policies and procedures.

Updated 29 December 2016

Aspire support is a small domiciliary care agency that provides personal care and support for working age adults and older people with a range of disabilities. At the time of the inspection three people received support from the service.

We gave the provider short notice of this inspection to ensure the staff we needed to speak with would be available. The inspection took place on 14 and 21 November 2016.

People were happy with the service they received and were complimentary about the staff that supported them. One person said, “They’re brilliant, they’re really good”. A member of staff told us, it’s an amazing company, I love it. I like what we do with care”. We asked the provider to describe their philosophy of care and they told us, “It’s about the whole person; it’s not just about tasks”.

The services had systems in place to ensure people were safe. Staff had been trained in safeguarding and understood what to do if they were worried or concerned about someone. Risks were managed safely and in a way that enabled people to do the things they wanted to. Medicine systems were in place. We made a recommendation that staff competency to administer medicines safely was periodically checked.

People received personal care and support in an individualised way and their privacy was protected. Staff knew people well and demonstrated a good understanding of how they wished their care to be provided.

People’s needs were thoroughly assessed and care was planned and delivered to meet their needs. People and their relatives were fully involved in assessing and planning the care and support they received.

Staff were knowledgeable about their role and spoke positively about the service and the support they received.

People knew how to make a complaint and felt confident they would be listened to if they needed to raise concerns or queries. The provider sought feedback from people and changes were made if required.

There were systems in place to ensure improvements were made in regard to the safety and quality of the service provided.