Archived: Altogether Care LLP - Yeovil Care at Home

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People received safe care because staff had a good awareness of the specific risks people faced and how to manage these without being restrictive. People’s risk assessments gave staff clear guidance on how to manage their health conditions.

People told us they felt safe. They were protected from avoidable harm as staff were trained to recognise signs of abuse and knew who to report this to if they had concerns. The service had a recruitment and selection process that helped ensure only prospective staff with the required skills and good character were employed to support people.

People’s capacity to consent to decisions about their care and support had been assessed. Where required, the service undertook mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). 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 care plans were person-centred and included detailed personal histories, their abilities, goals and preferred methods of communication. Plans were regularly reviewed to ensure they reflected people’s current needs.

People and their relatives said they enjoyed visits from the staff. They felt staff had a good understanding of their needs and supported and encouraged them to remain as independent as possible. People and relatives felt all staff were very kind, caring and respectful. One person said, “They treat me like one of the family and really look after me well.”

People said they felt staff were well trained and knew how to help them. People were encouraged to make decisions and express their views about the care and support they received by staff who were respectful and familiar to them.

The service had robust quality assurance procedures which included various audits and regular staff competency checks. This helped ensure the quality of care was maintained and any issues were identified and resolved promptly.

People’s, relative’s and staff member’s views were sought in annual surveys and used to influence the direction of the service. Compliments were shared with staff which helped motivate them. Staff told us they got on well with their colleagues and that they felt proud to work for Altogether Care LLP – Yeovil Care at Home. One staff member said, “I honestly can't imagine working anywhere else.”

Staff told us, the registered manager was supportive, approachable and a good listener. Care staff felt supported by the office staff. People and relatives considered the service well led and organised. One relative said, "The company has a great manager."

The service had established and maintained positive working relationships with other agencies including district nurses, social work teams and GP surgeries.

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 3 August 2018).

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services which have had a recent Direct Monitoring Approach (DMA) assessment where no further action was needed to seek assurance about this decision and to identify learning about the DMA process.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Altogether Care LLP – Yeovil Care at Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

At the time of the inspection 109 people were receiving the regulated activity ‘personal care’.

This inspection was announced and took place on 14 and 15 June 2018. The provider was given 48 hours' notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service to people in their own homes and we needed to be sure that someone would be at the office and able to assist us to arrange home visits. This was the first inspection since the provider registered the service in May 2017.

A registered manager was in post. 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.

People told us they felt safe with the staff who provided their care and support. One relative told us, “I have no worries; it gives me great peace of mind to know they are caring for [the person].” There were processes and practices in place to keep people safe. The provider had a robust recruitment programme which meant all new staff were checked to ensure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people. All staff had received training in safeguarding vulnerable people and children. All staff spoken to were able to tell us what they would look for and how they would report anything they thought put people at risk of harm or abuse.

People received effective care and support from staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. All staff attended an intensive three day induction which included all the companies’ mandatory training before they started to work with people. This was followed by training updates and any training that was considered necessary to ensure a person received suitable care for their specific needs. People received care from a small team of staff who they had been able to build relationships with.

People told us, and we saw, they were cared for by kind and caring staff some of whom went over and above what was expected of them. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity at all times. They told us they could express an opinion about the care provided and contributed to their care plans.

People received responsive care and support which was personalised to their individual needs and wishes. People’s care plans were written in a person centred way ensuring they reflected their needs and how they liked their care to be provided. The registered manager confirmed that they would only take people if they felt they could meet their needs. People were supported to access health care services and see healthcare professionals when necessary. People told us staff were aware of their needs and if they changed they would contact the relevant person to help them, such as the GP or district nurse.

People were supported by a team that was well led. Everybody spoken to said they thought the service was well led. Staff and people receiving a service said the registered manager was open and approachable. One person told us how they thought the registered manager working care shifts was good as they got to meet them.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service, ensure staff kept up to date with good practice and to seek people’s views. Records showed the service responded to concerns and complaints and learnt from the issues raised. The provider sought people's views and opinions through regular telephone monitoring and an annual survey.