Archived: Audley Care Ltd - Audley Care Binswood

Updated 13 December 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection visit took place on 9 October 2018. It was a comprehensive inspection and was announced. This was to ensure the registered manager and staff were available to talk with us when we visited. The inspection was undertaken by one inspector.

We looked at the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. The information was used to inform our inspection planning.

Prior to our visit we reviewed the information we held about the service. We looked at statutory notifications the provider had sent us. A statutory notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to send to us by law.

Before the inspection visit we sent surveys to 24 people who used the service, 24 relatives or friends and 31 members of staff, to obtain their views about the quality of the service. Surveys were returned from 13 people who used the service, two relatives or friends and 4 members of staff. We also contacted people who used the service by telephone and spoke with seven people who used the service and two relatives.

During our visit we spoke with the provider [who was also the regional operations manager], the registered manager, the care coordinator, the general manager of the residential community, a senior personal care assistant and three personal care assistants. Following our inspection visit we spoke with two health care professionals about the service. Health care professionals are people who have expertise areas of health, such as nurses or consultant doctors.

We reviewed four people's care plans and daily records to see how their care and treatment was planned and delivered. We checked whether staff were recruited safely, and trained to deliver care and support appropriate to each person's needs. We reviewed the provider's quality monitoring system to see what actions were taken and planned to improve the quality of the service.

Updated 13 December 2018

The inspection took place on 9 October 2018 and was announced.

Audley Care Ltd - Audley Care Binswood is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes, within a residential community and within the wider community. Care staff call at people’s homes to provide personal care and support at set times agreed with them. At the time of our inspection 55 people received personal care from the service.

Not everyone using the service receives the regulated service of personal care. Some people had ‘cleaning’ or ‘shopping’ visits. CQC only inspects the personal care service provided to people, that is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where personal care is provided to people, we also take account of any wider social care provided. Audley Care Ltd - Audley Care Binswood also provide an on-call emergency service to everyone living in the building under a separate arrangement which people pay for as part of the service charge for the shared premises.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

We last inspected this service in April 2016, when we rated the service as ‘Good’ overall. At this inspection we found the quality of service had improved and is now rated ‘Outstanding’ in the caring key question, with a ‘Good’ rating in all other key areas. This meant the service has been rated ‘Good’ overall.

People were at the heart of the service and they felt very well cared for. Staff understood what was important to each person and worked closely with each other and other professionals to promote their well-being and happiness. Staff took account of and anticipated people’s needs to deliver an exceptional level of care. People and their relatives were included in planning how they were cared for and supported. Staff understood people’s diverse needs and interests and supported them to enjoy their lives according to their preferences. Staffing resources were managed with great care to ensure that staff had time to meet each person’s care and support needs. Staff respected people’s right to privacy and supported people to maintain their independence.

The provider and the registered manager utilised a range of management tools to deliver person centred, quality care to people. They demonstrated they valued care staff and promoted their learning and development. There was an open culture at the service where staff felt well supported, able to raise any concerns and put forward suggestions for improvements. Staff opinion was listened to, and the registered manager acted on their suggestions. Staff enjoyed their work and were motivated to provide people with high standards of care. They were proud to work for the service and felt listened to by senior staff. Systems ensured good standards of care were consistently maintained for people. The provider took a rigorous approach to staff recruitment to ensure new care staff had the right values to work in a caring and person-centred way. Staff had the knowledge and skills required to meet people’s individual needs effectively and were actively encouraged to study for advanced qualifications.

The provider encouraged people to feedback on how things were managed and to share their experiences of the service. People were extremely positive about the care and support they received from staff who valued them as individuals.

People were protected from the risks of harm or abuse because staff were trained in safeguarding and understood their responsibilities to raise any concerns with the registered manager. Risks to people's health and wellbeing were managed. The registered manager made sure there were enough suitably skilled, qualified and experienced staff to support people safely and effectively. Staff were provided with supervision and support, including direct observation of their care practice. The registered manager checked staff’s suitability to deliver care and support during the recruitment process.

Staff worked within the principles of the MCA and supported people to have maximum choice and control of their lives. People were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet that met their needs and preferences. People were supported to maintain their health.