31 May 2023
During an inspection looking at part of the service
Allfor Care is a domiciliary care agency providing care and support to people living in their own homes. The service was supporting 99 people at the time of our inspection.
Not everyone who used the service received 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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.
Staff had been recruited safely. They underwent appropriate checks before starting work at the service, including reference and criminal records checks. There were sufficient care staff rostered to ensure people’s needs were met. The provider monitored people’s care calls and we saw recorded evidence that lateness was discussed with the relevant staff members.
The provider had carried out person centred risk assessments for people and we saw these were regularly reviewed. People’s risk assessments were linked to their care plans which included guidance for care staff on reducing identified risks.
People’s medicines were managed appropriately. Staff administering medicines had received relevant training. People’s medicines administration records were audited regularly.
Staff had received training to ensure that people were safe. For example, training on safeguarding and infection prevention and control. Staff, people and family members told us personal protective equipment to carry out their tasks safely. People said that they felt safe with the care they received.
The provider had made improvements to their quality assurance processes since our last inspection. Systems had been put in place for monitoring of care calls and auditing of people’s care records and staff files.
People were asked for their views about the service on a monthly basis. The provider maintained a record of actions taken in relation to issues and concerns people had raised.
People and family members told us they received safe and effective care from staff. Staff members said they felt supported by the provider and received the information and support they required to do their work effectively.
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.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 23 October 2021) and there was in breach of regulation 17 (good governance) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. There were no systems in place for monitoring care calls, care records, and staff risk assessments. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
At our last inspection we recommended that the provider carried out regular reviews of risk management plans in relation to staff. We also recommended the provider carried out regular audits of staff files, including agency staff records. At this inspection we found the provider acted on these recommendations and improvements had been made.
Why we inspected
We carried out an announced focused inspection of this service on 23 October 2021. A breach of legal requirements was found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Allfor Care 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.