27 June 2023
During an inspection looking at part of 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.