Background to this inspection
Updated
28 July 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.
We gave the registered manager 24 hours’ notice that we would be visiting their premises on 3 July 2018 to carry out our comprehensive inspection. We gave them notice so they could arrange to be there and arrange for staff to be available to talk with us about the service. The visit on 3 July 2018 was conducted by one inspector.
Prior to our inspection visit we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included any information received from local authority commissioners. Commissioners are people who work to find appropriate care and support services for people, and fund the care provided. We also looked at statutory notifications sent to us by the provider. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law.
We did not ask the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR), because this was the first inspection since they had registered with us. The PIR is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give us some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
During our inspection visit we spoke with the managing director who was also the nominated individual, the registered manager and two care staff. Following our visit we spoke with two people by phone who used the service, three relatives and two staff by phone. We also spoke with a healthcare professional who had been working closely with the management team and staff. Health care professionals are people who have expertise in particular areas of health, such as nurses or consultant doctors. We reviewed three people’s care records to see how their care and support was planned and delivered. We also reviewed records such as staff training records, care call rotas, medicine records, risk assessments, care plans and records associated with the provider's quality checking systems. We used this information to help us make a judgement about the service.
Updated
28 July 2018
The inspection took place on 20 June 2018 and was announced.
Autumn Grove is registered to provide personal care to people in their own homes. Autumn Grove is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides a service to ‘adults with different needs, including dementia, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. Autumn Grove registered with us in May 2017 and this was the first inspection of this service. Before providers are registered, part of our registration process is to check those providing care, are of suitable character and have effective systems and processes to provide people with a service that meets their needs. At the time of this inspection visit, 50 people received personal care.
There was a registered manager in post. 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.
People felt safe using the service and staff understood how to protect people from abuse and harm. There were procedures to keep people safe and manage identified risks to people’s care,
People had a comprehensive assessment of their health and social care needs before they used the service. Care plans contained detailed information to enable people to receive appropriate care and support with their needs. People’s care needs were regularly reviewed. The registered manager and the provider were in regular contact with people, or their relatives, to check the care provided was what people needed and expected. People and their relatives told us staff were reliable and stayed for the time needed. People were treated with dignity and respect.
Where medicines were administered staff were trained and assessed as competent to do so safely. The provider had a recruitment process that had suitable checks in place to ensure that prior to staff starting work they were suitable to support people who used the service.
People knew how to complain and information about making a complaint was available for people when they started using the service. There was a system in place to log and action any complaints or concerns that people may have.
Staff felt they had good training and their competencies and skills were continuously checked. Staff were supervised and supported in their roles. People were assisted to access health services when needed and staff worked well with other health and social care professionals.
The principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) were followed by the registered manager and staff. People’s decisions and choices were respected and people felt involved in their care. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff sought permission before assisting them.
There were governance systems in place that provided the registered manager with an overview of areas such as care records, medicine records and call times. A new system to improve the governance of the service was being developed and implemented by the provider.