Aptine Ltd

Updated 22 September 2025

Date of assessment: 14 to 24 October 2025.

Aptine Ltd is a homecare agency providing care and support to people living in their own houses and flats. The service provides support to older and younger people living with multiple health support needs and physical disabilities, some of whom also live with dementia. The service also supports people with a learning disability and autistic people. At the time of this assessment, there were 15 people receiving personal care support from this service. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is to help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. This was the first assessment of this service since its registration.

We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.

People received safe care provided by appropriately trained and supported staff. Staff knew how to recognise and report any safeguarding concerns. Although some risk assessments related to specific health conditions did not provide fully robust guidance for staff, staff could access other healthcare guidance and were familiar with the individuals, which enabled them to support people safely. The registered manager improved record keeping following our feedback, reviewed risk assessments to include all relevant details and analysed medicines administration records to improve their accuracy and to ensure people received safe support as they required. People had personalised care plans in place. The care plans included information on how people’s individual day-to-day care risks were monitored and how staff supported them, in line with their preferences and wishes, to remain safe, well and as independent as possible. Staff felt valued, respected, supported and involved in the service. Staff told us they could easily contact the management and felt encouraged to speak up when needed and to provide feedback. Incidents and accidents were analysed, and case studies were discussed with the staff team to ensure lessons learnt were implemented. The management team carried out a range of checks and audits of the quality and safety of the service. Although not all actions within the service improvement plan were fully completed at the time of this assessment, we saw significant changes had been made to the systems and processes to improve the service. For example, in relation to care planning, incident analysis and monitoring or staff training. The registered manager worked well with local partners and ensured they were aware of the national best practice guidance which helped them to shape the service. The management team were approachable and visible.

Updated 22 September 2025

People and their relatives were complimentary about the care they received and the competency of the staff providing support. People said the care and support staff provided was ‘very good’, ‘brilliant’ and ‘excellent’. People told us they felt respected by the staff, involved in their care, and that the staff treated them in a caring manner. Relatives told us staff were sensitive to people’s distress and communication needs. People felt safe with the staff and found them competent in providing their care. People were happy with the support they received around day-to-day activities, medicines, housekeeping and wider staff practice around hygiene and infection prevention. People’s relatives told us they were involved in their loved ones’ care, and the service maintained good, open communication with people and their families. People knew who to approach with any concerns or feedback and felt comfortable doing so. People told us care visits were generally on time and lasted long enough, so people did not feel the care and support would be rushed. The care was delivered by a consistent staff team who got to know people and their preferences. People and their relatives told us the service was flexible, and the care addressed their individual needs in a person-centred way.