15 July 2014
During a routine inspection
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 and to pilot a new inspection process being introduced by CQC which looks at the overall quality of the service.
The inspection was announced. 48 hours notice of the inspection was given because the service is small and the managers are often out of the office supporting staff. We needed to be sure that the managers and staff we needed to speak to were available.
Absolute Home Care is a domiciliary care agency that offers personal care to 38 older people living in their own homes. The service focuses on independence, dignity, enhancing quality of life and supporting adults with end of life care. Palliative care otherwise known as end of life care is comfort care for people with serious illness which focuses on providing relief from the symptoms or pain of the illness.
There were two registered managers in post at the time we visited. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and shares the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law with the agency.
Staff knew how to protect people from harm and what to do if safeguarding concerns were raised. They followed policies and procedures and demonstrated their understanding of safeguarding and protecting people they supported.
There were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs. The manager followed safe recruitment practices.
The provider was effective. Staff told us that they received opportunities to meet with their line manager to discuss their work and performance.
Where the staff prepared and cooked food for people, they were involved in choosing what they wanted to eat. Individual care plans provided staff with guidance about peoples nutritional needs.
People told us they were happy with the care provided by Absolute Home Care. Everyone we spoke with expressed their satisfaction with the provider. People said they were treated with kindness and compassion in their day-to-day care. They commented, “They cannot do enough for me I am given total dignity and respect”.
People's care needs were assessed before they received a service. One of the managers visited people in their home before they received a service.
People were made aware of the complaints system. Absolute Home Care Agency had a complaints policy and procedure. The procedure was in the service user’s handbook given to people when they started receiving care from the agency.
The service worked well with other agencies and services to make sure people received their care in a joined up way. We contacted health professionals who told us that Absolute Home Care provided care of the highest standard to people.
Quality was integral to the provider’s approach and they were aware of potential risks to the quality of the service. The provider had a robust quality assurance system in place, which was used to drive continuous improvement.