We carried out a review of the data available to us about Helping Hands Allcare Limited 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 Helping Hands Allcare Limited, you can give feedback on this service.
Helping Hands Allcare Limited is a domiciliary care agency providing care and support to people living in their own homes who have a range of needs. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and earing. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection 79 people were receiving personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were happy with the care they received and felt the service was run well.
A clear management structure was in place, however we identified that quality assurance systems were not always robust in monitoring and recording the quality of the service.
We have made a recommendation about reviewing quality assurance checks in place.
Feedback about the service was sought from people, their relatives and staff.
Appropriate safeguarding procedures protected people from the risk of abuse. There were enough staff to meet people's needs and they had been recruited safely.
Individual and environmental risks were managed appropriately. People received their medicines safely and as prescribed.
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. Staff sought people's consent and supported people to make choices about their care.
Staff received appropriate training and support to enable them to carry out their role effectively.
Staff treated people with kindness and compassion. Staff had developed positive relationships with people and their relatives and knew what was important to them.
People were treated with respect and dignity. Staff encouraged people to remain as independent as possible in their daily routines.
People received individualised care which met their needs and preferences. Care plans were clear, detailed and guided staff on the most appropriate way to support people. The provider was reviewing people’s care plans to include more information about their life histories and interests.
A complaints procedure was in place, which ensured concerns were investigated and acted upon appropriately. Where required, arrangements were in place to support people in a dignified manner at the end of their life.
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published 13 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.
Helping Hands Allcare Limited is a home care service providing personal care services to people in their own homes on Hayling Island in Hampshire. At the time of this inspection there were 124 people living on the island who received personal care services. There were also four people registered with the service who were supported when they came to the island on holiday.
There was no registered manager in place at the time of our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 provider's HR manager had taken over the management of the service after the previous registered manager left in November 2016 and is referred to as "the manager" in this report.
The provider had arrangements in place to protect people from risks to their safety and welfare, including the risks of avoidable harm and abuse. Staffing levels were sufficient to support people according to their agreed call rotas. Recruitment processes were in place to make sure the provider only employed workers who were suitable to work in a care setting. There were arrangements in place to handle and administer medicines safely and in accordance with people’s preferences.
Staff received appropriate training and supervision to maintain and develop their skills and knowledge to support people according to their needs. Staff were aware of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, although nobody supported at the time of our inspection had been assessed as lacking capacity. Where staff supported people by preparing their meals, this was done according to their preferences. People were supported to access healthcare services, such as GPs and paramedics.
Care workers had developed caring relationships with people they supported. People were encouraged to take part in decisions about their care and support and their views were listened to. Staff respected people’s confidentiality, independence, privacy, and dignity.
Care and support were based on assessments and plans which took into account people’s abilities, needs and preferences. People told us they had the same care workers on a regular basis, and there were no issues around missed or late calls. People were kept aware of the provider’s complaints procedure, and complaints were managed in a professional manner.
The provider communicated a caring ethos. Systems were in place to make sure the service was managed efficiently and to monitor and assess the quality of service provided. People told us the service was flexible and responsive to their needs.