• Services in your home
  • Homecare service

Archived: Amegreen Complex Homecare - Buckinghamshire

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Unit 7, Bell Business Park, Smeaton Close, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP19 8JR (01296) 821911

Provided and run by:
Amegreen Complex Homecare Limited

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile
Important: This service was previously registered at a different address - see old profile

Latest inspection summary

On this page

Background to this inspection

Updated 5 June 2018

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.

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice to ensure someone would be available to assist us with the inspection. On 27 April 2018 we contacted people who used the service or their relatives by telephone to receive feedback . We visited the office location on 30 April 2018 and ended on 1 May 2018 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures. We contacted professionals by email who had knowledge of the service.

An expert by experience carried out the telephone calls to people or their relatives. 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 site visit was carried out by an inspector and specialist nurse advisor.

Prior to the inspection we used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection we spoke with two people who used the service and 13 relatives. During our visit to the office we spoke with the registered manager; the operations manager, the paediatric clinical lead; the human resources administrator; the training coordinator; a registered nurse and a health care assistant. .

We reviewed various records of care including six care plans. We also examined medicines documents namely medication administration records (MAR) charts. We read documents including audits, records related to the employment of staff and the operation of the service.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 5 June 2018

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community . It provides a service to older adults, younger disabled adults, and children.

This announced inspection took place on 30th April and 1 May 2018. There was a registered manager in place. 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.

This was the first inspection since the provider moved locations in February 2017.

People and their relatives told us they believed the service was safe. Risk assessments had been completed for care and the environment. We found some areas of the administration and recording of medicines needed reviewing. We have made a recommendation about this in the report.

Care plans gave guidance to staff on how to reduce risk and included people’s needs and preferences. People’s needs were assessed prior to receiving care. Where possible people or their relatives where involved in the selection process of staff.

Staff received an induction which included training. They received support through supervision and appraisals. Specialist training was provided to ensure they could meet people’s individual needs. Competency assessments took place to ensure staff where meeting the required level of skills and knowledge. Where staff failed to meet the required standard, action was taken by the provider.

Safe recruitment systems were in place to minimise the risk of unsafe staff being employed within the service. Staff understood the indicators of abuse and how to report their concerns.

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 support this practice.

People’s healthcare needs were met through the involvement of external professionals and the cooperation of Amegreen staff. Guidance was documented in care plans and practice was carried out in alignment with the suggested advice.

Staff were deemed to be caring. The majority of people and their relatives spoke positively about the staff attitude and caring nature. People’s protected characteristics were supported by staff. People received support to participate in their chosen lifestyle.

Where people had communication difficulties, staff were trained to ensure their ability to communicate was enhanced. People were assisted to remain as independent as possible and staff understood how to protect people’s privacy and dignity.

There were mixed responses regarding the effectiveness of the management of the service. Where people had raised concerns these had either been dealt with or were in the process of being managed. The provider was responsive to complaints and used the learning to improve the quality of the service. They were aware of the weaknesses in the service and had taken action to strengthen them.

We have made a recommendation about the duty of candour requirements. This was due to the fact the registered manager had limited knowledge about this regulation. However their practices were in line with the regulation.

The registered manager was a member of a number of accredited associations, which enabled them to keep up to date with best practice.