Background to this inspection
Updated
15 February 2019
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 is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector and an expert by experience who made telephone calls to people. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The Expert by experience was a family carer of someone who used this type of service.
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit. This was to ensure there was a manager available to support the inspection.
Inspection site visit activity started on the 25 January 2019. We visited the office location on the 25 and 28 of January 2019. The registered manager was unavailable at the time of the inspection but a covering manager and the nominated individual were available on both dates.
We spoke with the manager, the nominated individual, one care co-ordinator, one senior and senior carer and six care staff. We visited two people in their own homes and made calls to fifteen people and gained views from eleven. Following the inspection, we contacted seven relatives however we were able to gain views from four. Following the inspection, we contacted five health care professionals but were unable to gain views from any.
We looked at four people’s care and support records and four staff files. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service such as audits, incident and accident records, recruitment and training records, policies, and complaints.
We reviewed information we had about the service including statutory notifications. Notifications are information about specific events that the service is legally required to send us. Prior to this inspection we asked for a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We were provided with a copy of this on the inspection.
Updated
15 February 2019
We undertook an inspection of Alliance Living Care – Weston Super-Mare on the 25, 28 January and finished on the 1 February 2019. An Expert by experience made phone calls to people on the 25 January 2019.
The inspection was announced, which meant that the manager knew we would be visiting. This was to ensure someone would be available to support the inspection.
The service registered to provide a regulated activity with the Care Quality Commission in June 2014. The service was rated requires improvement at the last inspection. In Safe, effective and Well-led it was rated requires improvement. At this inspection we found the service had improved to a rating of Good in all domains and overall.
Alliance Living Care – Weston Super Mare is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides a service to older people. Not everyone using Alliance Living care – Weston Super Mare receives a regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; for example help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. At the time of our inspection 239 people were receiving personal care and support from the service.
A registered manager was in post at the time of our inspection. 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.
At our last inspection we found records relating to how people received their medicines needed improving as well as audits. At this inspection we found improvements had been made to the recording of medicines and audits.
People received their medicines safely and records relating to the recording of tablets had improved.
People received their visits from staff who they were familiar with and who they described as kind and caring. People felt safe and care plans contained environmental risk assessments.
Staff had checks undertaken prior to starting work. Staff received training and supervision and all felt able to raise any concerns should they need to. New staff received an induction and people were supported by staff who received additional training to ensure they were competent and skilled in their roles.
People were supported by staff who were kind and caring and who were able to demonstrate examples of privacy and respect. Staff had a good understanding of equality and diversity and how they promoted people’s independence and choice.
People felt able to complain should they need to however all people and relatives were happy and had no reason to complain.
Staff were familiar with people’s needs and care plans were reviewed and personalised.
The provider had audits that identified shortfalls and the performance of the service was monitored by the nominated individual.
People’s views were sought so improvements could be made. Staff felt the service was a nice place to work with a good staff team.
The provider was submitting notifications when required and displaying their rating.