Ark Nursing & Care Agency

Updated 13 July 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

The 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 houses and flats.

Registered Manager

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. 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.

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 provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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 annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 6 members of staff, which included the registered manager and nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. We looked at a variety of records relating to the care and support provided. This included 2 care files and 4 staff files in relation to recruitment, and various audits/reports relating to the quality and safety of the service. We requested a variety of records were sent to us relating to staff training and regards the management of the service.

We sought feedback from people using the service, relatives and health and social care professionals to obtain their views of the service provided to people. We received feedback from 2 people using the service, 3 relatives, and 3 health and social care professional. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 13 July 2023

About the service

Ark Nursing & Care Agency is a domiciliary care service, supporting adults in the community who require assistance with 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 there were 6 people using the service.

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

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

People felt safe and supported by staff in their homes. Comments included, “Kind, caring staff. I have no concerns at all.” A relative commented, “I am extremely happy with the care and support my husband gets. I can relax and have peace of mind that he is being well looked after.”

Staff demonstrated an understanding of what might constitute abuse and knew how to report any concerns they might have.

People’s individual risks were identified, and risk assessment reviews were carried out to identify ways to keep people safe. Medicines were managed as necessary. Effective infection control measures were in place. The principles of the Mental Capacity Act were adhered to when necessary. Health and social care professionals were regularly involved in people’s care to ensure they received the care and treatment which was right for them.

People confirmed that staffing arrangements met their needs. Staffing arrangements matched the support commissioned and staff skills were integral to this to suit people’s needs. Where a person’s needs increased or decreased, staffing was adjusted accordingly. There were effective staff recruitment and selection processes in place.

Staff spoke positively about communication and how the registered manager and management team worked well with them and encouraged their professional development.

A number of methods were used to assess the quality and safety of the service people received. The service made continuous improvements in response to their findings.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 8 November 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service and length of time since the last inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Ark Nursing & Care Agency 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.