Alma Care Services Ltd

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

This is the first inspection for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery. The registered manager understood people’s needs and worked well with staff and others to ensure people received a joined-up approach to care. They advocated well for people to ensure they received the right support and advice when needed when their needs changed. People and relatives we spoke with felt the registered manager and staff listened to their views and took them on board. They described themselves as being treated as partners in care, or part of a team. The provider had policies and processes in place to support significant changes in people’s lives, including at the end of their life. No one was receiving end of life care at the time of the inspection. This topic formed part of staff induction.

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 relatives found care was personalised to their individual needs and could be changed when needed. Care packages were regularly reviewed to ensure they were the best option for people. One relative said, “What came across from the culture was a real commitment to make it personable.” Staff understood the provider’s goal to provide person-centred care that put people at the heart of the service. They acted in line with this. One relative said, “They really couldn’t do enough to make sure everything was right for [person].”

People and relatives received well-coordinated and consistent care from staff who knew them well. They had built up trust and mutual understanding and communication was effective. Staff received appropriate amounts of training and support to ensure they knew how to support people, recognise changes, and seek advice. One staff member said, “The registered manager didn’t rush anything – they made sure I was comfortable supporting people.” The provider shared a welcome pack with people, which they found useful. Staff ensured daily documentation was detailed and up to date, should it need to be relied upon by other professionals, and also so families had a clear picture.

People and families welcomed the communication log kept in their house, along with the regular check-in telephone calls from the registered manager. One relative said, “We never missed anything because they were always updating us.” Staff described a registered manager who was patient and diligent in ensuring they had all the information they needed to provide people with a high standard of care. Since 2016 onwards all organisations that provide publicly funded adult social care are legally required to follow the Accessible Information Standard (AIS). The standard was introduced to make sure people are given information in a way they can understand. The provider had made sure documentation could be produced in other formats where required.

People and relatives had positive experiences of the service. They described the registered manager as approachable and always open to suggestions. People had made no complaints but felt confident any concerns would be addressed openly and effectively. Staff made sure people had the opportunity to share their views about their care. The registered manager also did this by telephoning or visiting people. They used feedback to assist them improve the quality of care and plan the growth of the service. The registered manager had an effective system in place to monitor the quality of the service. They had a clear plan in place to maintain oversight and to implement digital records. They ensured feedback from people and relatives played a part in that planning.

People and their relatives confirmed care packages met their needs. They were involved in how care was planned and delivered, and felt confident this reduced risks they may have faced. People felt involved in all aspects of the design of the care package and how it was delivered. They found staff were competent, caring and treated people in a dignified manner. One relative said, "We didn’t have any safety concerns – they always knew what they were doing." The registered manager ensured lessons were learned from incidents and analysed patterns and trends. For instance, they drew up a specific policy in addition to their core policies around safety/boundaries to ensure people and staff knew exactly how to remain safe and what the expectations were for staff. People and relatives felt they could raise any issues, and they would be dealt with openly and effectively. The registered manager had effective initial systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. They had plans in place for when the service grew, as currently they were supporting a very small number of people, which made oversight of care and support relatively straightforward. The registered manager was responsive to feedback and made immediate improvements to safeguarding processes where we signposted them.

People experienced a personalised approach from the service, which ensured equity of experiences. The registered manager made sure they understood people’s needs, aspirations and anxieties and put in place the right processes to support them. Staff provided the tailored care and support set out in care planning information.

No one was receiving end of life care, but staff were alert to the need to monitor people’s changing needs, and to discuss this with people. The registered manager had reflected on the impact one person’s death had on staff and ensured they put in place learning from this. With the close bonds that staff built up with people, the registered manager recognised the need for reflection and grieving for those staff. The provider ensured there were policies and procedures in place regarding providing care for people reaching the end of their life. Staff received training in this area.