We carried out a review of the data available to us about Avondalecare (Kent) Limited 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 Avondalecare (Kent) Limited, you can give feedback on this service.
Avondalecare (Kent) Limited is a care at home service providing personal care). The service provides support to people with mental health needs and or who are autistic. At the time of our inspection there were 9 people using the service. 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
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. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.
Right Support: The model of care maximised people’s choice, control and independence. People were supported to achieve their goals and agreed how to manage any risks with staff. People were supported by a small number of staff they knew well and trusted. Staff checked people had taken their medicines and reminded them if necessary. People were involved in recruiting staff who were of good character and had the skills to meet their needs.
Right Care: Care was person-centred and promoted people’s dignity, privacy and human rights. People told us they felt safe with staff. Staff knew how to identify risks of abuse and were confident to raise any concerns. People were supported to understand infection control risks and how to manage them.
Right Culture: The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensured people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives. Checks the provider completed had improved and any shortfalls were identified and addressed. Staff felt supported by managers who were approachable.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 2 July 2022). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of this service on 31 May 2022. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve staff recruitment and checks and audits.
We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Avondalecare (Kent) Limited 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.
Avondalecare (Kent) Limited provides personal care to people with mental health needs in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were two people using the service. 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 were happy with the care they received from Avondalecare (Kent) Limited. We found the care people received was good, but staff had not been recruited safely and the provider was not aware of this.
People were protected from the risks of harm and abuse. Staff knew how to identify and raise any concerns they had. Concerns raised had been listened to and acted on. Risks had been assessed with people and ways to keep them safe, while remaining independent, had been agreed.
Staff supported people to remain well. People were offered food and drinks they liked. People’s medicines were managed safely. Staff practice protected people from the risk of infection.
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.
People had planned their care with staff and were supported to live their lives in the way they wanted. People had been invited to share their end of life preferences.
People and staff were asked for their views of the service. These were listened to and acted on to improve the service.
The registered manager and provider understood their legal responsibilities and had shared information with us and others when they needed to. This included telling us about any significant incidents.
There were enough staff to support people. People received their care from a team of staff they knew. Staff arrived at the agreed time. Staff had the skills they required to care for people and were supported by the registered manager and provider.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
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 based on our inspection programme.
Enforcement and Recommendations
We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.
We have identified breaches in relation to staff recruitment and checks and audits at this inspection.
Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.