Alma Care Services Ltd

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

This is the first inspection for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this. The registered manager undertook a comprehensive assessment of people’s health, social, communication and broader needs with them and their relatives. They understood people’s needs and worked with social workers and others to put in place the right care. Care was well planned and policies and procedures were informed by current evidence-based good practice and standards. Staff supported people to maximise their independence. They were aware of people’s rights regarding consent and respected these when they delivered care and treatment. Staff received mandatory and additional training and were well supported by the registered manager.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People and, where appropriate, their relatives, felt fully involved in the design and delivery of people’s care needs. Staff were confident supporting people and understood their needs because of the comprehensive initial assessments that had taken place, and the co-produced nature of them. There was a set process in place for how the registered manager would meet with people to discuss their needs ahead of taking on a package, and then speaking with them at regular intervals to ensure that they were meeting people’s needs. This worked well and people took confidence from these regular check-ins.

People received support from staff who followed clearly established plans and documented their visits to enable a clear record of care. Relatives found the care package met their needs and staff followed the relevant guidance when supporting them. Relatives confirmed they valued the daily logs kept in people’s houses, which allowed them to see if there were any immediate updates, and also allowed them to flag any issues to staff if they were not in the property. Staff were supported to gain and maintain the skills and knowledge to carry out their role effectively. Staff completed training in relevant areas and the registered manager sought opportunities to update training with new skills. Staff supervisions were completed to ensure staff had the opportunity to raise any uncertainties. The provider had a range of policies in place informed by good practice. They demonstrated they were committed to supporting staff to have a comprehensive range of skills and hands-on support.

People were comfortable with staff. They raised no concerns about staff continuity of consistency and had confidence in how well staff worked with each other. They agreed that staff were able to recognise and communicate changes in their needs. The staff team was very small but they spoke positively about how well they were supported by the registered manager. The registered manager worked as part of the team and staff valued this. The service had not had many dealings with external professionals. Those we spoke with did not raise any concerns. The registered manager planned to grow the service and understood the importance of working well with external partners and agencies. The provider had a range of range of policies informed by good practice, which set out staff responsibilities.

People and their relatives raised no concerns about the service in this area. They were supported to enjoy the diet and lifestyle they chose. Choice and control was prioritised from the outset by staff who had the time and interest to understand people’s needs. Staff told us they felt confident to support people to live healthy lifestyles. One staff member said, "I got the right training and got to know the things [person] likes and can/can’t tolerate." People's healthcare needs were met through a consistent approach by the provider and clear policies and procedures.

People and relatives were happy with the service provided, and felt staff monitored people’s needs well. The registered manager stayed in touch with people and families regularly to ensure needs were well monitored. Staff confirmed they had sufficient time to update records and were clear on the expectation regarding leaving detailed, person-centred care notes. The registered manager regularly reviewed the systems and processes in the service to determine if improvements could be made. There were daily logs in place so staff and families could share pertinent information. This worked well for people and staff. One relative said, “The communication was excellent – always getting updates on my phone, and there was a communication book we used to update the carer and vice versa.” The registered manager planned to introduce electronic record keeping in the future but the systems in place at the time of inspection worked well.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control over their lives. Staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests. People and families were involved in decisions about their care. When people receive care and treatment in their own homes an application must be made to the Court of Protection for them to authorise people to be deprived of their liberty. At the time of the inspection nobody using the service was subject to restrictions of their liberty but staff had received relevant training and understood Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) principles. Staff were respectful of people’s rights and helped empower their decision-making. The MCA provides a legal framework for making particular decisions on behalf of people who may lack the mental capacity to do so for themselves. Staff had received training regarding the MCA and policies were in line with the principles of the MCA.