Archived: Ann Mason Care

Updated 19 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 took place on 15 and 20 March 2018 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be available to respond to our queries.

The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

On the day of the inspection we visited the agency’s office and spoke with the owner manager, two staff responsible for co-ordination of both the domiciliary daily care support and the live in care staff. We spoke to the person responsible for staff recruitment and training. We also spoke with five care staff. We visited the home of four people who used the service and met with them and their families and or the staff supporting them on that day. We had also received feedback from our survey of people at the service. We received 14 responses back from people who used the service and 15 back from staff.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make. We checked the content at inspection was correct. We reviewed information we held about the service including statutory notifications sent to us by the registered manager about incidents and events that had occurred at the service. Statutory notifications include information about important events, which the provider is required to send us by law. We used this information to plan the inspection. We also looked at information sent to us from others, including family members and staff.

We looked at seven people’s care records and three staff records. We examined information relating to the management of the service such as health and safety records, personnel and recruitment records, quality monitoring audits and complaints.

Updated 19 May 2018

The inspection took place on 15 and 20 March 2018 and was announced. The previous inspection took place on 31 October and 2 November 2016 and we had rated the service as requires improvement. At this inspection we found a good quality service that had delivered on assurances made to improve the safety and well led sections in the last report.

Ann Mason Care is a domiciliary care agency, which provides personal care and support to people in their homes. People receive a range of different support in their own homes, from daily visits, to live-in care. At the time of inspection there were 51 people receiving a service. The locations covered for daily visits included south Suffolk and North Essex. Including but not limited to Maningtree, Colchester central, Stoke by Nayland, Dedham and East Bergholt. The live in care was provided to people mainly in Suffolk and Essex, but also other nearby counties including Wiltshire.

There was a clear management structure in place. As a registered person, the provider has legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and a computer system was able to monitor and run reports to ensure that systems ran smoothly. People’s views were sought and acted upon. Staff felt supported and the provider promoted an open culture which welcomed constructive criticism. Feedback about this service from people and staff was highly positive. Both parties felt supported by an organisation that promoted good values of care.

People were supported by staff to stay safe in their homes. Recruitment was robust and safe. Staff assisted people to take their medicines as prescribed. Checks helped ensure people were receiving the medicines they needed. Risk assessments ensured staff were aware of how to support people to remain safe in their homes. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs and to manage risk safely.

Staff were well supported and spoke highly of the service and the manager. Training ensured staff developed the necessary skills meet people’s specific needs. People were given choices about the care they received. Where people did not have capacity there was understanding of how to make decisions which were in their best interest. People were supported to consume food and drink of their choice. Staff worked well with health care professionals to help people to maintain good health.

Staff knew people well and developed positive relationships with them and their families. Staff treated people with respect and dignity. Care plans were in place which outlined people’s needs and there were systems to ensure people’s needs were reviewed as required. People received a detailed response when they made a complaint and their concerns were dealt with effectively.