Archived: Ambito Community Services Hertfordshire

Updated 21 June 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection was undertaken by one inspector.

Service and service type:

Ambito Community Services Hertfordshire is a domiciliary care service. Staff deliver personal care and support to people living in their own homes and support people to access community services. The service is registered to provide services to both children and adults living with physical, sensory or learning disabilities.

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 visit because it is small, and the registered manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

Inspection site visit activity started on 30 May 2019 and ended on 03 June 2019. We visited the office location on 30 May 2019 to meet with the registered manager and to review care records and policies and procedures.

What we did before the inspection:

We reviewed information we had received about the service from the provider. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.

During the inspection:

We visited the office location and spoke with the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including staff training records and meeting minutes were reviewed. We visited the office location and spoke with the registered manager.

After the inspection:

We sought clarification from the provider to corroborate evidence found. We looked at training data, quality assurance documents and other information sent to us after the inspection by the registered manager. We spoke with relatives of three people who used the service and two care staff members about their experience of the care provided.

Updated 21 June 2019

About the service: Ambito Community Service Hertfordshire provides care and support to children and adults living in their own homes with a range of physical and learning disabilities. The service was providing support with personal care for five people at the time of this inspection.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

People’s experience of using this service:

People were safe and protected from avoidable harm because staff knew how to identify and report any concerns relating to the risk of abuse. Risks to people`s health, safety and well-being were assessed, and measures developed to remove or reduce the risks. People were supported by enough staff who had been safely recruited through a robust process. People’s medicines were managed safely. Staff had received training in infection control practices and personal protective equipment such as gloves and aprons was provided for them. The management team took appropriate actions following any incidents and learning was shared with staff.

The provider undertook assessments to make sure people`s needs could be met by Ambito Community Services Hertfordshire. Care plans were developed from these assessments for each person’s identified needs and staff had clear guidance on how to meet those needs. Staff received training and support to help them to carry out their roles effectively. Staff supported people with their nutritional needs to help maintain their health and wellbeing. Staff and management knew people well and could promptly identify when people`s needs changed, and they sought professional advice appropriately. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible.

People’s relatives praised the kind and caring nature of staff. People received consistent care from a small team of staff. People’s care records were held securely in a locked cabinet within a locked office to help promote confidentiality.

People received care and support as they wished and needed. People’s relatives told us they would be confident to raise any concerns with the management team. Everyone we spoke with during this inspection was satisfied with the care and support provided for people.

The management team was committed to providing a high standard of care to the people they supported as well as the staff team and understood their responsibilities under the Duty of Candour. People’s relatives and staff members spoke highly of the registered manager and told us that they were always available and supportive. People told us that they were often asked for their views about the quality of the service.

Rating at last inspection: This was the first inspection of this service since registering with the Care Quality Commission in May 2018.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection.

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

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