28 April 2016
During a routine inspection
Advencare is a small domiciliary care service that provides care and support to a people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection two people were being supported by the service.
There was a manager in post who was also the provider and who had registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 felt safe and were well cared for by the staff from Advencare. Staff had received training in how to safeguard people from abuse and knew how to report any concerns they had, to senior staff. The recruitment procedure was not always consistent in completing pre-employment checks to ensure that potential staff were suitable to work in a care environment. There were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet people’s agreed care and support needs.
Potential risks to people’s health and well-being were not always identified, reviewed or managed effectively. People were supported to take their medicines by staff who had been trained in the safe administration of medicines.
People who used the service and their relatives were positive about the experience and abilities of staff who provided care and support. Staff received initial training relevant to their roles and had periodic meetings with the registered manager to discuss their work. However, updates to training were not always provided when they were due. People were asked for their consent and this was recorded on their care plan but was not always documented when it was reviewed.
The registered manager and staff had developed caring relationships with the people they supported and were able to demonstrate they knew them and their needs very well. People who used the service, and their family members where appropriate, were involved in the planning and reviews of the care and support provided.
People’s confidential records were stored securely. However, we saw evidence that information had been shared with persons whose identity had not been checked.
Support was provided in a way that promoted people’s dignity and respected their privacy. People received care that was flexible in meeting their needs and preferences. People were supported to maintain their health.
People knew how to complain should they need to but told us they had never had to complain. There were no complaints recorded. However people told us they felt that the registered manager and staff would listen to them and respond appropriately.
There were no arrangements in place to monitor risks or the quality of services provided and this was an area that the registered manager told us they were focusing on developing. Audits had not been completed and therefore where we identified areas where improvements were required, they had not been identified as part of the quality monitoring process.