13 September 2018
During a routine inspection
Angelcare Southern is a domiciliary care service situated in Arundel, West Sussex. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to 21 older adults. Not everyone using Angelcare Southern receives the regulated activity of personal care; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.
The service had a registered manager. 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.
The registered manager worked many hours delivering care. This meant they had developed good working relationships with people using the service and supported staff well. However, due to the time they spent delivering the care the registered manager acknowledged that this had impacted on their time to be able to implement a robust quality assurance system. Audits were not consistently completed to provide the registered manger with full oversight of the service. This was an area of practice that needs improvement.
People told us they felt safe. One person told us, "They’re brilliant. Very caring and always ask before doing anything. I feel perfectly safe.” Staff were knowledgeable in safeguarding adults and people were protected from the risk of abuse. Risk to people were assessed and known by staff. Staff had a good understanding of infection control and had been provided with appropriate equipment to support people safely. There were safe systems in place to manage, administer, store and dispose of medicines.
People's needs were assessed before they used the service and regularly thereafter. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff understood people's needs and preferences. Staff received training to support the needs of people using the service. A relative told us, “I’d say the staff totally all know what they’re doing.” People were assisted to eat healthy and balanced diets.
People told us they felt well cared for. People received kind and compassionate care and support. A relative told us, “Angelcare are really committed to care, they genuinely are kind and do care.” People and their relatives were encouraged to share their views of the service provided. People’s privacy and dignity were respected.
Staff were responsive to people’s needs. Staff knew people well and spoke about their routines and preferences in detail. Care was delivered with a person-centred approach. Staff were responsive to people’s health needs. One person told us, “A couple of weeks ago I had a pill that didn’t agree with me. It was awful, I felt dreadful, they have supported me through this and encouraged me to get back on my feet.” People were aware of their right to complain and had access to the provider's complaints policy and procedure. People received dignified end of life care.
People and staff told us they thought the service was well-led. They spoke highly of the registered manager and their leadership. One person said, “She’s a marvellous manager. She works hard and she delivers what she’s promises.” Staff told us they felt supported by the registered manager. There was a clear ‘family and person-centred’ vision for the service. The provider's vision and values were embedded in the staff's practice.