Archived: Agincare UK Eastbourne

Updated 3 August 2017

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 took place between the 18 and 19 May 2017. This was an announced inspection. 48 hours’ notice of the inspection was given to ensure that the people we needed to speak to were available. The inspection was undertaken by one inspector and an expert by experience who made telephone calls to people and their relatives. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

During the inspection process we spoke with ten people who used the service and two relatives. We asked what it was like to receive care and support from Agincare UK Eastbourne. We reviewed ten people’s care documentation and associated records. We spoke with six care staff, a care coordinator, two care supervisors, the registered manager and the provider’s area manager. We also spoke with a staff member who had responsibility for recruitment.

We reviewed a range of records about people’s care and how the service was managed. These included the care records for nine people, medicine administration record (MAR) sheets, six staff training, support and employment records, quality assurance audits, incident reports, complaints and records relating to the management of the service.

Before our inspection we reviewed the information we held about the agency, including previous inspection reports. We reviewed the provider’s information return (PIR) and responses from questionnaires sent by us to people, their relatives and staff. We considered the information which had been shared with us by the local authority and agencies, looked at safeguarding alerts which had been made and notifications which had been submitted. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law.

Updated 3 August 2017

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Agincare UK – Eastbourne in February 2016 where breaches of Regulation were found. We issued a requirement notice for these breaches. As a result we undertook this inspection to follow up on whether the required actions had been taken. At this inspection we found significant improvements had taken place and the breaches in Regulation had been met.

This inspection took place between the 18 and 25 May 2017. We visited the office of Agincare UK – Eastbourne on the 18 and 19 May 2017. We told the provider we were coming on the two days we visited the office this was due to it being a domiciliary care agency and we needed to ensure someone was available. The inspection involved a visit to the agency’s office and telephone conversations with people, their relatives and staff, between the beginning and end dates.

Agincare UK Eastbourne is a domiciliary care company based in Eastbourne. They provide support and care for predominately older people living in their own homes. Some people were at risk of falls and had long term healthcare needs. Agincare UK - Eastbourne provide their services within an approximate 10 mile radius from their office in Eastbourne. At the time of our inspection 55 people were using the service. There was a registered manager in post, a registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider.

People and their relatives spoke positively about the service provided and the leadership at Agincare UK – Eastbourne. However we found some aspects of the service were not always well led. There had been some shortfalls in the communication of operational and administrative information which had impacted on the effectiveness of the registered manager. The software used to track and schedule care calls did not consistently allow senior staff to have clear auditable oversight of some areas of the operation.

People told us they felt safe using the services of Agincare UK - Eastbourne. Comments included, “I have been very pleased with the care we’ve had, never had any worries.” Staff had an understanding of safeguarding people from different types of abuse and how to raise and escalate any concerns they had for people’s wellbeing and safety. Where people had been involved in an incident or accident steps had been taken to investigate and follow up to reduce the risk of them being repeated.

Medicines were managed safely and in accordance with current regulations and guidance. Medicines records were audited and reviewed to check for errors or omissions. Staff knowledge and competency was routinely assessed to ensure they were confident to support people with their medicines.

Risks and support needs associated with caring for people in their own homes had been assessed and were reviewed appropriately. Care plans were person centred and details recorded were consistent. Staff supported people to access health care services if required. Staff told us they knew people well and recognised if they were unwell.

Staff had an understanding of the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Care documentation reflected action had been taken and appropriate agencies involved where appropriate.

There were enough staff to meet people's support needs and staff had regular training, supervision and appraisal to support them in their roles. Staff gave positive feedback about the training they underwent and people said staff were well trained. Appropriate pre-employment checks had been completed before staff began working for the provider.

People knew how to make a complaint or raise concerns with staff or the registered manager. There was an appropriate complaints system in place. People told us they were supported by friendly, reliable and caring staff who respected their privacy and promoted their independence. People who needed it were supported to eat and drink enough and staff knew what to do if they thought someone was at risk of not eating or drinking sufficient amounts. People were supported with their day to day health care needs.

A range of quality assurance systems had been established; these were completed to ensure people received safe and good quality care and checked areas such as medicines and care documentation. Additional audits were completed by one of the provider’s regional managers.