ABS Care Ltd

Updated 4 March 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was conducted by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

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 48 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 22 February 2022 and ended on 23 February 2022. We visited the location’s office on 22 February 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make.

We received feedback from seven members of staff about their experiences.

We looked at all the information we held about the provider.

During the inspection

We met the registered manager, director and supervisor.

We looked at records the provider used for managing the service, including the care records for five people who used the service, four staff files, and other records used by the provider for monitoring the quality of the service.

After the inspection

We spoke with two people who used the service and the relatives of five other people.

Updated 4 March 2022

About the service

ABS Care Ltd is a care agency providing personal care and support to people living in their own homes. 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. At the time of the inspection, eight people were receiving the regulated activity.

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

People received a personalised service which met their needs and reflected their preferences. They were involved in making decisions and were consulted about their care. Some of the things people using the service and their relatives told us were, ''I am pleased with ABS Care, they are so helpful'', ''[The registered manager] treats everyone as special'', ''They are wonderful and we couldn’t ask for better'' and ''We are just blessed we found such a good agency.''

People's care was planned and risks to their safety and wellbeing were assessed. The agency reviewed these plans regularly, involving people in these reviews and asking for their opinions. They delivered good quality care which had led to improvements in people's health, the condition of their skin and with social isolation.

The staff felt well supported and had the information and training they needed. They enjoyed working for the agency. The management team carried out regular checks to make sure staff were following policies and procedures.

People had good relationships with the staff and management team. They told us staff were kind, dedicated and caring. Their privacy and rights were respected.

There were suitable systems for monitoring the quality of the service and making improvements. These included clear policies and procedures and regular audits of the service. The registered manager was also one of the owners of this family run business. They had a good oversight of individual needs and worked alongside staff to provide care, support and guidance for people using the service and their families.

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.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered on 1 February 2021.

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted by the date of registration of this service.

Follow up

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