Oswestry Also known as Approved Care and Support

Oswestry is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to 33 people at the time of the inspection. The service supported people from the local area and had an office in the main town centre.

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 protected from the risk of harm although not all incidents were being reported to the office in a timely manner. The registered manager reviewed the process in place to ensure all staff know what to report and when.

Risks to people’s safety were assessed, including people’s home environment. We highlighted some areas where further assessment was required. For example, with certain health conditions. There was sufficient staff to meet people’s needs and no reports of missed or late calls. Some people told us they would like a more consistent staff team.

People received their medicine safely. Staff had received training in safe administration and their practice was reviewed during spot checks. People were protected from the risk of infection and plans were in place to mitigate the increased risks from the current Covid-19 pandemic.

The registered manager was aware of their responsibilities. However, at the time of inspection we found the systems in place did not always enable them to have clear oversight of everything that was happening in the service. Staff felt they delivered a quality service to people and most people we spoke with told us they would recommend the service to others.

The service worked in partnership with health and social care professionals..

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 01 June 2018).

Why we inspected

We had received a number of reports which suggested safeguarding concerns had not been adequately investigated and the processes required to keep people safe were not always robust. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. We have found no evidence that anyone was at risk of harm. However, the overall rating for the service has changed from good to requires improvement. 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 Oswestry on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It provides a service to older adults and younger disabled adults. At this inspection they were providing personal care for 56 people.

Approved Care and Support had two registered managers in post and both were present throughout this inspection. One of the registered managers was also the registered provider. 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.

People were safe as staff knew how to recognise and respond to concerns of ill-treatment and abuse. Staff members arrived to provide care for people on time and stayed for the agreed period. Staff members followed safe infection prevention and control practices when supporting people. The provider followed safe recruitment procedures when employing new staff members.

People were safely supported with their medicines by competent staff members. People received care and support from staff members who had received training and support to effectively assist them. New staff had received an introduction to their role and were equipped with the skills they needed to work with people.

People received care that was effective and personalised to their individual needs and preferences. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff members understood and promoted people’s rights.

People received support that was kind, caring and respectful. People were supported by a staff team that was compassionate, thoughtful and appropriately “humorous”. People’s privacy and dignity was respected by those providing assistance.

People were involved in developing their own care and support plans. When changes occurred in people’s personal and medical circumstances, these plans were reviewed to reflect these changes. People’s individual preferences were known by staff members who supported them as they wished. People were encouraged to raise any concerns or complaints. The provider had systems in place to address any issues raised with them.

Approved Care and Support was well-led by a management team that people and staff found approachable and supportive. People’s feedback was encouraged and their suggestions were valued by the provider. Staff members believed their opinions and ideas were listened to by the provider and, if appropriate, implemented. The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of service they provided and where necessary made changes to drive improvements.