All inspections: Allied Healthcare - Devizes

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and to pilot a new inspection process being introduced by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which looks at the overall quality of the service

There was a registered manager in post at Allied Healthcare Devizes. A registered manager is a person who has registered with CQC to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider.

This was an announced inspection which meant the provider knew we would be visiting. This was because we wanted to make sure that the registered manager would be available to support our inspection, or someone who could act on their behalf. The previous inspection was conducted in July 2013, we found no concerns at the time.

Allied Healthcare Devizes is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. Services provided are for both adults and children who may have a range of needs including older people, people with dementia and adults and children with learning and physical disabilities. They also provided 24 hour care to support people to live in their own homes. They also supported people to access facilities within their local community.

Most people told us they were happy with the service they received. They said they had been involved in planning their care and were able to discuss changes when required.

Staff were appropriately trained and had received a thorough induction when they started working for Allied Healthcare Devizes. Where required, staff had received additional training specific to the needs of the person they were supporting. Staff we spoke with understood their roles and responsibilities. They spoke about people they were supporting in a kind and caring manner.

CQC monitors the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care settings. However whilst the law is different in domiciliary care settings the registered manager explained that this topic was “touched on” in induction and they were in the process of implementing additional training for care staff. Care staff we spoke with understood their responsibilities in supporting people to make choices and express their preferences.

Staff told us they felt supported. They told us they received regular supervision and staff meetings were held throughout the year.

We contacted social workers and people who commissioned services from Allied Healthcare. They were complimentary about the staffing and support supplied. One social care professional told us “They are absolutely fantastic, very professional.”

The registered manager monitored the quality of care and support. People who used the service and their relatives were encouraged to feedback about the care and support they received, which was used to makes changes to services as required.

The manager told us the agency always assumed people who used the service had capacity to make their own decisions unless proved otherwise. We looked at four care records which confirmed people's mental capacity status had been assessed by senior staff prior to receiving a service.

We spoke with four relatives of people who used the service and they all told us how staff were professional and treated people with respect and dignity. One person said 'I feel my son is in really safe hands with the staff'. Another relative told us 'I have been very pleased with the agency ever since we started using them several years ago'.

We saw the annual internal audit process which gave the provider assurance from a variety of sources such as: health and safety issues, training records, incident forms and medication records in order to monitor and improve the care provided. This check had just been completed by the providers own audit staff and had been linked to the outcomes from the Care Quality Commission's essential standards.

We saw evidence the provider kept a log of complaints and concerns which people had raised and these were stored on the computer system. The complaints log captured the details of complaints and any actions that had been taken.

As part of this inspection, shortly after our visit we contacted two relatives and three people who used Allied Healthcare Devizes.

Everyone we spoke with was complimentary of the staff and were very satisfied with the care and support provided. Comments included: 'The staff go over and beyond the call of duty. They are caring and experienced and know me very well, they recognise if I am not feeling well and take action such as calling my doctor.' 'I have plenty of opportunities to express my views regarding the care or treatment I receive.' 'The staff are very flexible and ensure their visits fit in with me to meet my individual needs.' 'The staff are well trained and encourage me to do as much for myself as possible and this enables me to stay in my own home, and be as independent as possible.' 'Staff are very aware of the importance of privacy and dignity, they are polite and respectful. New staff have been introduced gradually until I have felt confident that they know me and my routine, which is important to me.'

People told us there was consistency in the staff who provided their care for them. If staff were held up for any reason, someone always phoned them to let them know.

People told us they would speak to any of the staff if they had any concerns. In doing so, they were confident any concerns would be dealt with promptly and effectively.

Archived: Allied Healthcare - Devizes

All Inspections

22 July 2014

During a routine inspection

16 July 2013

During a routine inspection

29 November 2012

During a routine inspection