Abundant Life Care Limited

Abundant Life Care Limited is a domiciliary care agency It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection 17 people were using the service, all of which received personal care.

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

Medication administration records (MAR) were not always accurately kept. We found that staff were supporting people with medicine administration but were not always recording the names or dosage of the medicines taken.

Safe recruitment practices of staff was not always in place. We found that disclosure and barring checks had been carried out before people were employed. However, when these checks showed previous criminal convictions, no action was taken by the provider to risk assess the employees suitability to work with adults.

The provider did not always seek two employment references when recruiting staff , to ensure the employee’s background was thoroughly checked.

Audits carried out were not always effective, and action was not always taken. The provider had failed to regularly audit and check certain areas of the service, and had not taken prompt and sufficient action when issues were found with MAR (medicines administration records) and recruitment.

Staff were sufficiently trained, but there was no clear oversight on all training records and when they might expire.

People told us they felt safely cared for. Staff understood safeguarding procedures and were confident in reporting any concerns. Risks were assessed and understood by staff.

Staffing levels were sufficient. There were enough trained staff within the service to ensure people’s planned care needs were met. People told us staff were generally on time.

People told us staff followed infection control procedures and wore personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times during their care.

People’s needs were fully assessed and understood by staff. Care plans reflected people’s individual needs.

People’s food and drink preferences were detailed in care plans. Any dietary requirements were documented and observed by staff.

People had access to any healthcare appointments they needed, staff supported people in this area as required.

Staff treated people with respect and dignity, and feedback we received from people and relatives was positive about the care they received.

A complaints system was in place and people knew how to use it. Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect.

There was a registered manager in place and staff felt supported by them.

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.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was last inspected on 15 November 2019 and was rated Good.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on current priorities for inspection.

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.

Abundant Life Care Limited is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection there were eight people using the service.

Not everyone who used the service received 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.

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

People’s safety was maintained and promoted through effective systems and processes to protect people from abuse. Potential risks to people were assessed and reviewed and staff followed the guidance in the care plans which described the level of support people required to reduce risks. Staff knew how to report concerns when people’s safety and wellbeing was at risk.

People received support from staff who had undergone a robust recruitment process. There were enough staff to care for people. They were supported by regular, reliable staff who knew them and their needs well, which promoted continuity of care. Rotas were planned to ensure people received their care at the time they needed. Staff were trained and had the skills and knowledge needed to meet people’s care and support needs.

People were supported to maintain good health. People were supported with their medicines and accessed health care services when needed. People were supported to eat and drink enough and the meals prepared met their dietary needs and preferences.

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 made day to day decisions about all aspects of their care which staff respected.

People received care and support from reliable, kind and caring staff. Staff protected people’s privacy, dignity and promoted their independence. People had developed positive relations with staff who were committed to non-discriminatory practices. People’s communication needs were met and understood by staff. Information was produced in formats, so people could understand.

People received person centred care. Care plans were personalised to reflect individual preferences, diverse cultural needs and how they wished to be supported. Staff worked flexibly to enable people to attend appointments, community and social events and family gatherings. People had the opportunity to express their wishes in relation to end of life care.

Everyone we spoke with felt the registered manager was approachable and responsive. People were confident complaints would be listened to and acted on. People’s views about the service were sought individually and through surveys.

The registered manager understood their legal responsibilities. The quality of care was monitored through reviews, audits and feedback. Systems were in place ensure staff were trained and supported in their roles. The registered manager and staff team had embedded the provider’s values to enable people to live in their own home for as long as they wished. This was achieved by the registered manager who worked in partnership with health care professionals, agencies and community services and shared learning with the staff team when things went wrong.

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 April 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.

Abundant Life Care Limited provides personal care and treatment for adults living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection the service supported 5 people who lived within the city of Leicester.

The service has a registered manager. This is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

We received positive comments about the service people received. People told us they were pleased with the service and the registered manager and staff listened to them, wanted to hear their views, and kept them informed about the service. Relatives said the registered manager and staff were approachable and they were kept up-to-date with their family member’s progress and any changes or developments at the service.

The service provided safe care. Staff were trained in safeguarding (protecting people from abuse) and knew how to keep people safe. Some information about safeguarding and whistleblowing was updated in the staff handbook following our inspection.

Staff took a flexible approach to the people they worked with regularly assisting with additional household tasks. Staff provided people with the care and support they wanted and encouraged them and their relatives to be an active part of the care planning process.

Staff ensured people were having enough to eat and drink. Staff had been trained to assist people to take their medicines safely and in the way they wanted them. People were treated with dignity and respect.

The provider and registered manager carried out audits of all aspects of the service to ensure it was well-led. People’s and relative’s views were encouraged to add value to this process.