Absolute Care at Home Limited Head Office

Updated 26 November 2024

This assessment began on 5 November 2024 and was concluded 23 December 2024. Absolute Care at Home is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. The service currently provides a service to 175 older adults in the Trafford area. Not everyone received the regulated activity of ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. The inspection was prompted in part by notification of an incident following which a person using the service sustained serious injury and malnutrition resulting in their admission to hospital. This incident is subject to further investigation by CQC as to whether any regulatory action should be taken. As a result, this inspection did not examine the circumstances of the incident. However, the information shared with CQC indicated potential concerns about the management of risk of malnutrition and inconsistent care and support. This inspection examined those risks. We looked at 15 quality statements: under the safe and well-led domains. We found 5 breaches of the legal regulations; safe care and treatment, safeguarding, staffing, fit and proper persons employed and good governance. Robust audits and checks were not in place to help identify areas of learning and drive improvement, including those areas identified within the report. Improvements were needed to care plans, staff recruitment and training and development, administration of medication and the deployment of staff so people received effective and consistent support. We found people had access to necessary healthcare support and equipment where needed. Staff spoke positively about working for the service and felt supported by the management team. We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

Updated 26 November 2024

We spoke with 18 people who use the service and the relatives of 7 people. The majority of people we spoke with said staff were kind and caring. People said they felt safe with staff when delivering care. We were told, "The staff are all very, very good" and "They do a grand job, and we feel safe as houses." Most of the people we spoke with had consistent, reliable support. However, some people said visit times were inconsistent and changed daily. Some people also felt staff, particularly younger staff, were not as skilled as more experienced members of the team and did not provide the same quality of care and support. People told us, "Too many different people", "It’s the young ones who don’t have a clue, my regular carers are fine” and "They rush off sometimes as if they have somewhere more important to be." People said most staff were respectful of their property, ensuring hygiene standards were maintained. Where necessary people had the equipment, they needed to support them in a safe way and minimise potential risks. People described the leadership and office staff as responsive, approachable, and supportive when addressing concerns or adapting care plans. One person said, "We very rarely have to contact the office, but if we do, they couldn't be more helpful and well-informed."