Archived: Aspen Live In Care Services

Aspen Live in Care support people to live independently within the comfort of their own homes. Staff live in with the person they care for providing personal care. The service was supporting 15 people at the time of this inspection.

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

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; however, documentation did not always reflect the good practice.

We have made a recommendation that the provider review their systems in monitoring and recording incidents, to ensure action is taken promptly and lessons can be learned and shared.

People were supported by staff who had completed a comprehensive induction and had access to regular training and knowledge updates.

Systems and processes were in place to keep people safe. People felt comfortable and trusted the staff that lived in their home. Staff were aware of their responsibilities to report any concerns.

People only had positive praise for the staff that supported them. Staff genuinely cared about the impact their role had to people’s lives and mutually respectful relationships had grown. The service valued and respected people’s individual beliefs and endeavoured to support them in the way they wanted to be supported.

The management were passionate about providing good end of life care to people and supporting their families at this difficult time. People had a clear plan in place of how they wished to be cared for and what was important to them.

People and their relatives could not speak highly enough of the management and the way the service was run. Communication in the service was good and people and staff felt listened to and valued.

Whilst people had been fully supported in practice the management had not submitted expected death notifications. The registered manager told us these would be sent without further delay.

Quality monitoring was undertaken, and people received regular visits to check all was well. The management team were committed to ensuring people received a positive experience when using the service.

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 19 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.

The inspection took place on 8 March 2017. The provider was given forty eight hours’ notice of the inspection.

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.

Staff had a positive and caring attitude about their jobs. People told us that they were happy with the care and support they received. A person said, “Aspen Live in Care do everything really well. There is nothing, in my opinion, Aspen could do better.” A relative said, “Aspen really deliver regarding meeting our needs.” All the staff we spoke with were happy in their work and proud of the job they do.

People received a safe service from Aspen Live In Care. Risks of harm to people had been identified and clear plans and guidelines were in place to minimise these risks.

Staff understood their duty should they suspect abuse was taking place, including the agencies that needed to be notified, such as the local authority safeguarding board or the police.

Staff recruitment procedures were safe. The provider had undertaken appropriate safety checks to ensure that only suitable staff were employed to support people in their own home. They also checked that staff were eligible to work in the UK. Staff received a comprehensive induction and ongoing training, tailored to the needs of the people they supported. There were sufficient numbers of staff who were appropriately trained to meet the needs of the people.

Staff managed the medicines in a safe way and were trained in the safe administration of medicines. Where staff gave people their medicine this was done in a safe way.

Where people did not have the capacity to understand or consent to a decision the provider had followed the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005). An appropriate assessment of people’s ability to make decisions for themselves had been completed.

People were supported to have enough to eat and drink. People’s dietary support needs were recorded and met by the staff.

People were supported to maintain good health. When people’s health deteriorated staff responded quickly and made sure they contacted the appropriate professionals so people received effective treatment.

People told us the staff were kind and caring and treated people with dignity and respect. A relative said, “They have been beyond my wildest expectations.” People said they received the care and support as detailed in their care plans.

Detailed plans for peoples care were in place, and staff provided the responsive care and support that people needed. People and relatives had been involved in detailing what support was needed.

People knew how to make a complaint. When complaints had been received these had been dealt with quickly and to the satisfaction of the person who made the complaint. Staff knew how to respond to a complaint should one be received. Many compliments had been received about the agency.

The service was managed by a registered manager that had a clear vision and goal for the service. They aimed to keep the service small so they could provide a good standard of care and support for people. They were hands on and made regular checks on the carers living in people’s homes to ensure everyone was happy with the arrangement.

People received a good standard of care and support by a well-managed and caring service. A person said, “The carers are really caring and compassionate. It’s a wonderful service.” A relative said, “The last thing I hear when I leave after visiting my family member in her home is laughter and happiness - all because of the carer we have.”