Ark Nursing & Care Agency

Ark Nursing & Care Agency is a domiciliary care service, supporting adults in the community who require assistance with 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 our inspection there were 6 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

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 felt safe and supported by staff in their homes. Comments included, “Kind, caring staff. I have no concerns at all.” A relative commented, “I am extremely happy with the care and support my husband gets. I can relax and have peace of mind that he is being well looked after.”

Staff demonstrated an understanding of what might constitute abuse and knew how to report any concerns they might have.

People’s individual risks were identified, and risk assessment reviews were carried out to identify ways to keep people safe. Medicines were managed as necessary. Effective infection control measures were in place. The principles of the Mental Capacity Act were adhered to when necessary. Health and social care professionals were regularly involved in people’s care to ensure they received the care and treatment which was right for them.

People confirmed that staffing arrangements met their needs. Staffing arrangements matched the support commissioned and staff skills were integral to this to suit people’s needs. Where a person’s needs increased or decreased, staffing was adjusted accordingly. There were effective staff recruitment and selection processes in place.

Staff spoke positively about communication and how the registered manager and management team worked well with them and encouraged their professional development.

A number of methods were used to assess the quality and safety of the service people received. The service made continuous improvements in response to their findings.

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 Good (published 8 November 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service and length of time since the last inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Ark Nursing & Care Agency on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Ark Nursing and Care Agency provides nursing and personal care to people in hospitals, care homes and to people who need assistance in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 13 people receiving a service in their own homes.

At the last inspection in September 2015 the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated good:

The service continued to provide safe care to people. One person commented: “I feel safe with the carers.” Measures to manage risk were as least restrictive as possible to protect people’s freedom. People’s rights were protected because the service followed the appropriate legal processes. Medicines were safely managed on people’s behalf.

Care files were personalised to reflect people’s personal preferences. Their views and suggestions were taken into account to improve the service. People were supported to maintain a balanced diet. Health and social care professionals were regularly involved in people’s care to ensure they received the care and treatment which was right for them.

Staff relationships with people were caring and supportive. Staff were motivated and inspired to offer care that was kind and compassionate.

There were effective staff recruitment and selection processes in place. People received effective care and support from staff who were well trained and competent.

Staff spoke positively about communication and how the registered manager worked well with them and encouraged their professional development.

A number of methods were used to assess the quality and safety of the service people received and made continuous improvements in response to their findings.

We asked staff how they ensured people gave consent to their care. One care assistant told us 'I always offer people a choice; I never take things for granted. We can give people advice and make suggestions but we can't tell people what to do. The final decision is theirs as long as they are safe and well'.

One person we spoke with said 'I have had support for two to three years, there are three or four people that cover the whole of the week. I look forward to seeing the same people on the same day. My care plan was drawn up with my daughter, they seem to take notice of what you are saying, and they are on the ball. I generally feel in control'.

Staff we spoke with had experience of working with other agencies that worked alongside Ark to provide care. They were clear about their responsibilities in this type of situation. One care assistant told us that 'my role is the main carer and it is our care plan that we work to. If the family have any issues or concerns they contact Ark first'.

One care assistant told us 'I have clarity about my role. This is because I have lots of training and go to imparting knowledge information days. The training days are very helpful'.

A case manager we spoke with told us that 'If I have any concerns I ring up the agency, there is a good relationship, they are open and transparent'.

People we spoke with who received a service from the agency said that their care and welfare needs were well met. People told us that staff supported them appropriately with daily living tasks, including personal care and meeting nutritional needs.

People we spoke with confirmed that they felt safe and supported by staff from the agency. They had no concerns about the ability of staff to respond to safeguarding concerns.

Staff were able to speak confidently about the care practices they delivered and understood how they contributed to people's health and wellbeing.

People were made aware of the complaints system. This was provided in a format that met their needs.