AJ and Friends

Updated 6 November 2021

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 24 September 2021 and ended on 7 October 2021.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since it was registered with us. We sought feedback from a number of local authorities and professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three family members to gain their feedback about the care their relative's received. We sought feedback from four staff members, the registered manager (who is also the provider) and a trainee manager. We received feedback from two professionals who work closely with the service and people supported.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people's care records, four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision, and a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.

Updated 6 November 2021

About the service

AJ and Friends provides personal care and support to young people in their own homes. The service supports people with complex physical health needs and people with autism and/or learning delays. 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. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting five people with personal care.

People's experience of using the service and what we found

Family members spoke enthusiastically about how consistently kind and caring the provider and staff were and the positive impact this had on their relative’s lives. They told us their own lives had been enriched by the support they and their relatives received from the provider and staff. One family member told us, “I would be lost without them [staff and provider]. They have been my rock.”

Staff were highly motivated to provide person-centred, compassionate care that celebrated people’s unique characteristics. A manager told us, “I am proud of what we do, who we are and what we stand for. We just want them [people] to be happy. We want to make a difference to these [people’s] lives.”

The provider showed immense passion and desire to provide people and their family members with care and support that enabled them all to live a better life. The provider’s own personal experiences had been the driving force behind the development of the service and the wider support they offered. Family members and professionals described the provider as ‘brilliant’, ‘amazing’, ‘a knight in shining armour’ and ‘heart of gold’.

It was clear that staff understood and shared the provider’s vision and values and were proud to work for the service. One staff member told us, “It is very clear [provider] is all about the [people] and the families. She is very passionate about what she does.”

The provider demonstrated a high level of experience and capability to deliver excellent care; they were extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic and worked hard to continuously improve the service. Professionals spoke highly of the provider and the additional support they offered for people outside of the service. Extensive links with the community had been developed to bring greater awareness about young people living with disabilities.

Risks to people's health and well-being had been assessed and appropriate plans in place to manage identified risks and keep people safe. Family members told us they were confident their relatives were safe and well looked after by staff. Staff had received safeguarding training and knew what action to take if they had any concerns.

A holistic approach had been adopted in the assessing, planning and delivery of people's care and support. Care plans were extremely detailed and identified intended outcomes for people.

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 received care that was based on their individual needs and preferences. Staff supported and encouraged people to access activities they liked. Family members spoke positively about the impact these activities had on their relative’s social skills and communication.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at the last inspection

This service was registered with us on 24 September 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.