Aitop Healthcare Limited

Updated 9 February 2023

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

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

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

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. The registered manager was also the provider. This means they are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

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

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last 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 used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with a relative of the person who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with registered manager, who also undertook the care and support calls. We reviewed a range of records. This included one person’s care records and a variety of records relating to the management of the service. This included quality assurance processes and templates to be used when required.

Updated 9 February 2023

About the service

Aitop Healthcare is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes. Not everyone who uses domiciliary care services receive 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 our inspection, one person received support with personal care.

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

Since the last inspection the person continued to receive safe care and support. Risk assessments were in place and reviewed regularly. The registered manager understood safeguarding procedures. Safe recruitment practices were in place to ensure staff who were appointed were suitable for their roles.

The person received their support calls on time. Medicines support was provided safely when required. Infection control measures were in place including use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Processes were in place to record and follow up accidents and incidents appropriately, which included consideration of any lessons which could be learned.

The person’s care records were comprehensive and contained clear information about their care and support needs. Care plans were reviewed and updated regularly and as the person’s needs changed. The registered manager had a good understanding of the person’s needs and individual preferences. They had received training appropriate for their role.

The registered manager was reliable and caring. The person was treated with respect. They received care which maintained their dignity and promoted their independence. Consent was sought before any care was delivered.

The registered manager monitored the quality of the service and a range of quality assurance audits were in place. They had plans for development of systems and processes as the service grew. They were aware of their legal responsibilities and worked in an open and transparent way. The person's relative was very positive about all aspects of the care provided by Aitop Healthcare.

The person was supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and they were supported 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

Why we inspected

At the last inspection of this service we could not award a rating as there was insufficient information available (report published 10 May 2022).

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

The overall rating for the service has changed from ‘inspected but not rated’ to good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Aitop Healthcare 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.