Background to this inspection
Updated
6 December 2019
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
This inspection was completed by one inspector.
Service and service type
This service is a small domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with two people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the provider who was also the registered manager and two care workers.
We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including training records and staff rotas were reviewed.
Updated
6 December 2019
About the service
Acare provides care and support to adults in their own homes in Folkestone, Canterbury
and surrounding areas. At the time of the inspection there were nine people receiving support with their personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were protected from avoidable harm and risks to people were managed safely. The registered manager promoted an open culture and acted on any concerns. There were enough safely recruited, suitable staff to meet people’s needs. People were supported by a consistent staff group who attended their care visits as planned. Lessons were learnt from accidents and incidents and action was taken to prevent a reoccurrence.
People's needs were fully assessed, and care plans offered clear guidance how to support people in line with their needs. People were cared for by competent, knowledgeable and experienced staff who were supported and supervised by a skilled registered manager. Where required, staff ensured people's dietary needs and preferences were met.
People were supported to maintain good health and were referred to health professionals as needed. Staff worked with other care agencies to ensure people’s needs were met. 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 were happy with the care they received. Staff were caring and had meaningful relationships with people, many whom had been supported by the same carer for a long time. People were involved in their care and staff knew people’s needs well. People’s privacy was respected, and staff upheld their dignity when providing personal care. People were encouraged to maintain their independence and were enabled to remain living in their own home.
People received planned person-centred care which was regularly reviewed to meet their changing needs. People’s relatives were involved in their care where they chose. There had not been any complaints about the service, but people were enabled to make a complaint if they wanted to.
All people and staff were positive about the registered manager. The registered manager had ensured the delivery of high quality and safe care and understood their role and responsibilities. Risks had been identified and managed to reduce the risks. The registered manager worked closely with the staff to monitor the care provided and any improvements needed were made. People had been asked for their views on their care and staff were happy working for the provider.
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 May 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.