Acorns Health Care

Updated 10 September 2021

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was completed by one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in seven ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 30 June 2021 and ended on 08 July 2021. We visited the office location on 30 June and 08 July 2021.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. 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. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people who used the service and 15 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with members of staff including the registered managers, the provider, quality and compliance manager, and 14 care staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with seven professionals who regularly visit the service.

Updated 10 September 2021

About the service

Acorns Health Care is a domiciliary care provider. At the time of this inspection 22 people received personal care support from the service. The service supported younger people with a variety of care needs, including people living with autism and learning disabilities. Some people had very limited verbal communication skills.

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. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

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

People felt safe living in their home with support provided by Acorns Health Care, and they were very much at the heart of the service. We received positive feedback from people, relatives and professionals about the care provided.

There were plans in place for foreseeable emergencies. Risks concerned with people’s health, care and the environment were assessed and reduced as far as was practicable.

Relevant recruitment checks were conducted before staff started working at the service to make sure they were of good character and had the necessary skills.

Staff had received training in safeguarding adults and knew how to identify, prevent and report abuse.

Medicines administration records (MAR) confirmed people had received their medicines as prescribed.

Staff had the qualities and skills to deliver effective care and staff felt supported by the training provided. Staff received support and one to one sessions or supervision to discuss areas of development.

Staff contacted healthcare professionals when they had concerns about people’s health and wellbeing. People were supported with their nutritional needs when required.

Staff had developed positive and caring relationships with people and their families. Staff were highly motivated and demonstrated a commitment to providing the best quality care to people in a compassionate way.

The provider’s quality assurance system helped the management team implement improvements that would benefit people.

There were appropriate management arrangements in place and relatives and professionals were very positive about the management in the home.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture Right support:

• Model of care and setting maximises people’s choice, control and

independence

Right care:

• Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and human

rights

Right culture:

• Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people

using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 18 October 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.