Archived: Alpha Community Care Limited

Updated 20 August 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

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service two working days’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 29 July 2019 and ended on 30 July 2019. We visited the office location on both days.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection such as notifications. These are events that happen in the service the provider is required to tell us about by law. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection, we visited the office and spoke with the registered manager, the nominated individual and one member of staff. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We also spoke with four people using the service, three relatives and three members of staff over the telephone.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 20 August 2019

About the service

Alpha Community Care Limited is a domiciliary care agency that is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection, 22 people were receiving a service from the agency. 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 told us they felt safe and staff were kind and caring. Staff understood how to protect people from harm or discrimination and had access to safeguarding adults’ procedures. There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people's needs and ensure their safety. The provider operated an effective recruitment procedure to ensure prospective staff were suitable to work for the service. The registered manager carried out risk assessments to enable people to retain their independence and receive care with minimum risk to themselves or others. People were protected from the risks associated with the spread of infection. People received their medicines safely and were supported to eat and drink in accordance with their care plan.

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. People’s needs were assessed prior to them using the service. The registered manager had appropriate arrangements to ensure staff received training relevant to their role. She explained all staff were due to refresh their training in the next two months. New staff completed an induction training programme. Staff felt well supported by the registered manager.

People and their relatives consistently told us staff were caring and always showed kindness and compassion. People and where appropriate their relatives had been consulted about their care needs and had been involved in the care planning process. Staff worked in respectful ways to maintain people's privacy and dignity. Staff were motivated and demonstrated a clear commitment to providing dignified and compassionate support. People were supported and encouraged to participate in a range of activities. People and their relatives had access to clear complaints procedure.

The registered manager demonstrated a strong and supportive leadership style. She led by example and promoted a culture of team work and inclusion for all. Staff felt valued and were proud to work for the service. The registered manager had established quality assurance systems and used feedback to make improvements to 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 2 February 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.