Audley Care - Inglewood

Updated 25 May 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 is 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 was announced and took place on 06 April 2018. The service was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service. We needed to be sure that the appropriate staff would be available in the office to assist with the inspection. The inspection was completed by one inspector.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us to give us some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We looked at all the information we have collected about the service. This included the previous inspection report and any notifications sent to us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law.

We looked at paperwork for eight people who receive a service. This included support plans, daily notes and other documentation, such as medication records. In addition we looked at records related to the running of the service. These included a sample of health and safety, quality assurance, staff and training records. We looked at seven staff recruitment files for staff who had been appointed in the preceding 12 months.

We visited people in their homes on the day of the inspection visit and requested information from eight people who use the service or their agreed representatives. We received three responses. We spoke with three staff members, on the day of the visit and requested information from a further ten. We received two responses. We requested information from nine professionals, including the local safeguarding team. We received responses from three. On the day of the inspection we spent time with two regional operations managers as the manager was not available.

Updated 25 May 2018

This was an announced inspection which took place on 06 April 2018.

Audley Care - Inglewood is a domiciliary care agency. It provides care to people living in their own homes in a purpose built village setting and in the community. Not everyone using the service receives a regulated activity. Approximately 97 people receive a regulated activity. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects the service being received by people provided with personal care, help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. The agency provides a service to older adults.

At the last inspection, on 14 June 2016, the service was rated as good in all domains and therefore overall good. At this inspection we found the service was still rated as overall good but the responsive domain had improved to outstanding.

The service did not have a registered manager running the service. However, the current manager had applied to be registered by the CQC and the application was being processed. 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, staff and visitors remained as safe as possible whilst in the office or being provided by a service. Staff had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults and health and safety policies and procedures. Staff knew what action to take if they identified any safety concerns during the course of their work. General risks and risks to individuals were identified and action continued to be taken to reduce them, as far as possible.

Medicine was administered as safely as possible. Care staff followed the medication procedure, completed medicine care plans and recorded medicine administration. People benefitted from being provided with adequate and skilled staff. The service did not accept a package of care unless they were able to provide staffing to meet the individual’s needs safely. The service followed a recruitment process which ensured staff were recruited safely.

Staff continued to be well trained and well supported to make sure they could meet people’s varied needs. Care staff met people’s needs effectively and as described in plans of care. The service worked closely with health and other professionals to ensure they were able to meet people’s needs, in the best way possible.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and care staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People continued to be supported by a committed and enthusiastic staff team who delivered care with kindness, respect and understanding. They built caring relationships with people and were able to meet their needs sensitively. The service and care staff were aware of people’s equality and diversity needs and endeavoured to meet them.

The service was exceptionally person centred, flexible and responsive to people’s individual’s needs. It adapted and changed care packages in response to people’s choices and specific needs. People’s needs were regularly reviewed to ensure the care provided was up-to-date. Care plans included information to ensure people’s communication needs were understood.

The manager and the management team ensured the service was very well-led. The manager, management team and office staff were described by staff as exceptionally supportive, open and approachable. The manager and the staff team were committed to ensuring there was no discrimination relating to staff or people in the service. The quality of care the service provided was continually assessed, reviewed and improved.