Archived: Abicare Services Ltd

Updated 1 April 2016

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.

This inspection took place on 14 January 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service; we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector. We reviewed the information we held about the service including the previous inspection reports. Before the inspection we received 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 improvements they plan to make.

We spoke with six people who use the service as well as the relatives for two. We spoke with three care staff as well as the manager. We looked at eight care files and associated records. We also looked at five staff recruitment files, the providers policies and procedures and the records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 1 April 2016

This inspection took place on the 14 January 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours because the location provides a domiciliary care service; we need to be sure that someone would be available in the office.

The service was last inspected in July 2013 and no concerns were identified.

Abicare Services limited provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection, 32 people with a variety of care needs, including older people, were receiving personal care from this service. This agency was managed from a centrally located office in Eastleigh.

There was a new manager in post who was in the process of becoming registered with CQC. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The feedback we received from people was positive. They felt they were safe with the care and support provided by the staff from Abicare. The manager and staff were aware of their responsibility to provide the care and support to each person. There were systems in place to ensure the risks to people’s safety and wellbeing were identified and addressed those. People who required support to take their medicines received this safely by staff who were competent.

The manager ensured that staff had an understanding of each person they were to be supporting, prior to them starting work with them. The service knew the person’s care needs and ensured the staff had the appropriate skills and knowledge to be able to support them. People felt safe and secure with the support they were currently receiving.

Staff were motivated and proud of the role they had. There was a safe recruitment process in place and all necessary pre-employment checks had been completed. Staff said they felt supported by the manager and new staff said they had received a full induction when starting with Abicare. There were sufficient staffing levels and all staff received regular supervisions and had received and annual appraisal.

People said they had positive relationships with the care staff. People felt they were treated with respect and dignity and the staff were mindful of their privacy. People were asked for their consent before care and support was given. Staff and the registered manager knew about the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and how it affected their work.

People felt involved and listened to, they contributed to what was written in their care records and risk assessments. People received a service which was based on their personal needs and wishes. Changes in their care needs were identified and amended as required. The service was flexible to changes if they were requested. People were supported to (when necessary) access healthcare services and referred to the doctors when needed.

People and their relatives were able to complain or raise issues on an informal and formal basis with the manager, and were confident these would be resolved. The manager demonstrated the importance of effective quality assurance systems. This involved looking at different areas such as support plans and reviews, and policies and procedures. The service was committed to continuous improvement and feedback from people whether it was positive or negative. This feedback would then be used and actions taken.