Alina Homecare Specialist Care - Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

Improvements had been made to the governance systems within the service and these had been sustained. Leadership was visible within the service, management and office staff had defined roles and responsibilities. Links had been made with external professionals and relationships resulted in positive outcomes for people. Staff were supported in their role and worked as a close-knit team to support and care for people well. People, their relatives and staff had confidence in the management of the service. Policies and procedures were in place to ensure the service operated safely.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The management team and staff demonstrated a clear vision of ensuring people were placed at the heart of the service. The management team and care staff spoke passionately about ensuring people were provided with the best care and support to enable them to live their best lives. Staff were happy in their role, a member of staff said, “I enjoy it. I think it’s a good place to work. I enjoy coming to work everyday and enjoy helping people to have the best possible life they can.” The registered manager told us, “I’m proud of the team they are second to none, part of why they are so good is because they care.”

The provider and staff sought the views of people and their families through surveys, individual conversations and reviews.

Staff spoke positively about the registered manager and staff team. They told us they were confident in the management of the service and it was well-led. A member of staff told us, “I feel respected, valued and listened to. Some days I get to the end of the week and it hasn’t felt like work at all. I love it.” The registered manager told us they were proud of their staff team and how hard they all worked to ensure people received person-centred care.

There was an open and supportive culture which came from the management team. Staff felt supported, attended regular meetings, and were kept fully updated with all aspects within the service. Communication systems were robust and policies and procedures ensured inclusivity was a core value throughout the service.

Staff spoke knowledgably regarding policies that were available to them. They told us the systems and processes the provider had implemented were easy to use, effective and made sense. Staff were confident in raising any issues and felt any concerns would be acted upon appropriately.

The service had policies in place that supported staff in speaking up. Policies included the topics of safeguarding and whistleblowing.

Staff told us everyone was treated equally and all were welcomed into the service. Staff received training in equality, diversity and inclusion and this was up to date. The registered manager told us, “All staff do equality and diversity training and we share our diversity and equality policies with people. We have a help hub which is a totally confidential service, for staff that provides full and free advice and support. It is totally confidential and provides a very quick response. Staff have used it and found it very beneficial.”

Policies and procedures supported diversity and inclusion within the service.

The registered manager told us governance systems were multi -layered and ensured clear oversight of all aspects of the service. An effective action plan was in place to ensure areas needing review or additional support would be monitored and appropriate actions completed. A member of staff told us, “It’s got so much better. We are a happy team we work together. Its improved big time”

Since our last inspection, improvements had been made which ensured the service was able to maintain clear and effective governance, management and accountability. The provider had made notifications to CQC as required by law. Providers must submit notifications informing us of changes to their regulated services and about any notifiable incidents that have taken place.

People and their relatives told us the service worked well with all the professionals involved in their care and they contacted them when needed. One person told us how they really enjoyed the time they spent each week in an independent charity provision. They said, “I like it there. “A relative told us, “Working with other professionals is now coming to the fore. [Person] has changed GP and I am involved with all conversations, they work well with them, it all seems to be joining up now.” Another relative said, “They work well with the dentist and they understand [person] and ensure they have everything they need.”

Staff spoke knowledgably about how they supported people to maintain their personal and family relationships and links with their local community. A member of staff told us, “They do really well with person centred care. They make sure people have everything they need to feel comfortable and have their independence. They do their best to give them good lives. They go the extra mile.”

We received positive feedback from health and social care professionals who worked in partnership with the service. One health and social care professional said, “All staff have been professional, polite and well-informed about the people they support. Communication has been relevant, necessary and factual… They are a pleasant company to work with and seem to get on with the job.”

People’s care and support records confirmed the service made appropriate contact with a range of health and social care professionals when required and in a timely way.

The registered manager and staff team spoke passionately about the service they provided for people and how lessons had been learnt when things had gone wrong. They discussed adverse events and explained what actions were taken to ensure learning was implemented. Clear improvements had been made since the previous inspection regarding medicine management, staffing and governance. The registered manager had a commitment to learning and making improvements to the service people received. Staff welcomed feedback from people, relatives and health and social care professionals to ensure an ongoing culture of continual improvement and learning took place.

There was a process of continual learning in place. Incidents and accidents were discussed during team meetings, supervisions and hand over sessions. This ensured learning from these events would be gained and appropriate changes implemented to prevent future re-occurrence. Action plans had been created to ensure all areas requiring ongoing monitoring would be actively followed up in a timely way. Regular spot checks and observations were conducted on staff to ensure they were following their training and meeting people’s needs.