We carried out a review of the data available to us about Amberley Care on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Amberley Care, you can give feedback on this service.
Amberley Care is a care service providing personal care to people on permanent packages of care in their own homes as well as reablement support for people returning home from hospital. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. 57 people were receiving personal care. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The registered manager had developed a range of quality monitoring systems, such as surveys and audits, and feedback was used to help drive improvement. People, relatives and care professionals spoke highly of the registered manager. Staff felt very well supported by the registered manager who was approachable and available for support and guidance.
People and relatives consistently told us about the excellent care they received. Staff were exceptionally patient, kind and thoughtful, going the extra mile to support them. People thought of staff as their friends and felt valued and respected. People felt listened to and fully involved in decisions about their care and were encouraged to be as independent as possible.
People and relatives told us they felt safe and confident in the care they received from staff. Robust recruitment processes were in place to ensure suitable staff were employed. Visit rotas enabled staff to spend time with people and were never rushed. Risks to people’s health and wellbeing had been identified and measures were in place to minimise risks. Incidents were dealt with immediately by the registered manager and any information or learning was shared with staff. Medicines were well managed and staff received training in medicines' administration and on-going assessment of their competency.
People were supported to access healthcare services to maintain their health and wellbeing when required. People chose what they wanted to eat each day and staff prepared the meals for them. Staff obtained consent from people for day to day decisions. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives.
Everyone supported by Amberley Care had the mental capacity to make their own decisions, so no one required decisions to be made in their best interests.
Staff knew people very well including their likes, dislikes, preferences and wishes and were responsive to their care and support needs. People and relatives knew how to make a complaint if they needed to and felt confident it would be addressed.
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 16 January 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Amberley Care on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Amberley Care is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care, sitting or respite care and domestic services to people in their own homes, some of whom will be living with dementia. The service operates in the Hedge End, West End, Botley and Eastleigh areas. There were 58 people receiving a personal care service at the time of our inspection. A small number of people had their care and support commissioned, on their behalf, by the local authority. The remaining people had arranged their care direct with Amberley Care and were referred to by the service as private clients. Most people did not have complex needs and the service did not currently take on care packages that required two care workers to manage the person’s needs.
The service had a registered manager. 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, without exception, they were supported by staff who were kind and caring. Staff displayed a genuine desire to enhance people's wellbeing and to developing positive relationships with the people they cared for. Care staff understood the importance of promoting people's independence and supporting them to retain as much control as possible. People were treated with respect and the support they received helped to maintain their dignity.
People spoke positively about how well organised the service was and about the quality of care they received. Without exception, they told us they would recommend the service to others. The registered manager had fostered an open and transparent culture within the service. They were passionate about the service and had a clear vision for its future. They acted as a good role model for the staff team and championed the importance of person centred care.
People felt safe when being supported by the care workers. Risk assessments were undertaken to assess any risks to people who received a service and to the care workers who supported them.
Medicines were managed safely. Staff had received training in safeguarding adults and had a good understanding of the signs of abuse and neglect and of how to report any concerns they might have about people.
There were sufficient numbers of care workers available to meet people’s needs. People told us their care workers arrived on time and stayed for the correct length of time. People were very pleased with the consistency of care they received and told us they were usually supported by a small team of carers who were familiar with their needs.
Staff undertook a range of training and had regular supervision and an annual appraisal. This helped to ensure staff performed their role effectively and understood their responsibilities.
Where necessary people were supported appropriately with their nutritional needs. There was evidence staff liaised with health and social care professionals involved in people’s care if their health or support needs changed.
Staff were provided with the information they needed to meet people’s needs in a person centred manner. This helped staff to develop their relationship with the person and provide responsive care.
The service had a complaints policy and information about how to raise concerns or complaints about the quality of care provided was readily available to people using the service.
There were systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service and drive improvements.
Arrangements were in place to ensure care was delivered that met people's needs. These had been assessed before care was provided and plans had been put in place to meet them. We found that care plans were updated as people's needs changed. Assessments including risk assessments were completed before the service was delivered.
There was an annual process to seek the views of people which was to be completed in December 2013. Feedback was also obtained through telephone calls, spot checks on staff and individual reviews. The feedback was assessed to check if changes were needed. Systems were also in place for staff to feedback their views and these were acted on. An effective quality assurance system was in place. Arrangements were in place to train staff in safeguarding. We also found there was an effective recruitment process in place and a system to induct staff into their roles.