We carried out a review of the data available to us about Always Home Care on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Always Home Care, you can give feedback on this service.
Always Home Care is a home care service, providing personal care and support to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection, the service was supporting eight people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Staff visited people on time and stayed as long as they should. No-one had experienced any missed visits. The provider recruited staff safely and staff knew how to protect people from abuse. Staff managed risks to people’s health and wellbeing appropriately. Staff administered people’s medicines safely and checked people’s equipment regularly to ensure it was safe for them to use.
The provider ensured staff completed the training needed to meet people’s needs. Staff supported people to eat and drink enough and ensured they received appropriate support with their healthcare needs. 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 liked the staff who supported them very much. They told us staff were caring, kind and respectful. Staff respected people's right to privacy and dignity and encouraged them to be independent when it was safe to do so. They respected people's diversity and involved people in decisions about their care.
People were supported by staff who knew them. They told us staff provided them with individualised support that reflected their needs and preferences. People had developed positive relationships with staff, which helped them avoid social isolation and loneliness. Staff offered people choices and encouraged them to make decisions about their care. No formal complaints had been received by the service.
Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities and provided care which resulted in good outcomes for people. They worked in partnership with a variety of agencies to ensure people received the support they needed. People, relatives and staff were happy with how the service was being managed. Staff felt valued and well supported by the care co-ordinator and provider. The provider had effective oversight of the service and the support staff provided to people.
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 18 January 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.
Always home Care is registered to support people with their personal care needs in the community. At the time of the inspection eight people were receiving personal care support.
There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager 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.
People were kept safe from harm because staff understood their responsibility to protect them from abuse and poor care. Risks which could affect people’s health and safety had been assessed and there were management plans in place to reduce the risk.
There were recruitment procedures in place to ensure staff were suitable to work within a caring environment. People were supported with or given their prescribed medicines in a safe manner.
Staff had access to training to improve their knowledge of care and enhance their skills. Staff understood the importance of supporting people to make choices for themselves. Staff ensured people had access to adequate food, drinks and healthcare professionals to support their health and wellbeing. People received kind and compassionate care. Staff developed relationships with people which recognised their independence and promoted their dignity and respect. People received personalised care because staff understood their likes, dislikes and preferences.
People were provided with information about raising concerns or complaints and were happy to speak with staff about their worries. People’s opinions were sought and they were involved in reviewing their care. Staff felt well supported and empowered to raise any concerns they had. There were processes in place to ensure the service improved when shortfalls were identified.
The registered manager provided us with an action plan outlining the changes to be made to the recruitment and selection process.
They told us existing staff had completed an application form providing a full employment history and health check. This was confirmed in the job application records sent to us by the provider.
The registered manager changed the job application form to ensure that all necessary information was requested and necessary checks were completed before people began working for them.
People who used the service could be assured they were cared for, or supported by, suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff.
We spoke with the registered manager and the care co-ordinator.
The registered manager told us that the service supported two people and had a staff team of three people.
After the inspection, we spoke with two members of staff and two relatives of people who used the service. People who used the service were unable to speak with us due to their health needs at the time of the inspection.
We found that people's views and experiences were taken into account in the way the service was provided and delivered in relation to their care and treatment.
One relative told us: 'They deliver a wonderful caring service. I can't praise them highly enough. I trust them implicitly'.
We found that the provider met the care and welfare needs of people who used the service.
We saw that there were safeguarding procedures in place at the service. The provider told us how the staff were trained to identify potential signs of abuse.
We found there were recruitment checks in place to ensure people were cared for, or supported by, suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff. We found that not all recruitment procedures had been consistently followed by the provider when recruiting staff.
We saw that the provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received.