Background to this inspection
Updated
11 June 2022
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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by one inspector and an Expert by Experience who made telephone calls to people using the service and their relatives. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
Registered Manager
This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 48 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 16 May 2022 and ended on 31 May 2022. We visited the location’s office on 16 May 2022.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with four people who use the service and eight relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with and received feedback from 10 members of staff including the registered manager, field care supervisor, coordinator and regional manager. We received feedback from 17 members of staff including care and support workers and senior care and support workers with their views of the service.
We reviewed a range of records. This included five people's care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment, induction and training. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect. We received feedback from a health professional and used this to help inform our judgements in this report.
Updated
11 June 2022
Altogether Care LLP – Yeovil Care at Home is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care and support to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection 37 people were using the service. 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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People received safe care because staff had a good awareness of the specific risks people faced and how to manage these without being restrictive. People’s risk assessments gave staff clear guidance on how to manage their health conditions.
People told us they felt safe. They were protected from avoidable harm as staff were trained to recognise signs of abuse and knew who to report this to if they had concerns. The service had a recruitment and selection process that helped ensure only prospective staff with the required skills and good character were employed to support people.
People’s capacity to consent to decisions about their care and support had been assessed. Where required, the service undertook mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People’s care plans were person-centred and included detailed personal histories, their abilities, goals and preferred methods of communication. Plans were regularly reviewed to ensure they reflected people’s current needs.
People and their relatives said they enjoyed visits from the staff. They felt staff had a good understanding of their needs and supported and encouraged them to remain as independent as possible. People and relatives felt all staff were very kind, caring and respectful. One person said, “They treat me like one of the family and really look after me well.”
People said they felt staff were well trained and knew how to help them. People were encouraged to make decisions and express their views about the care and support they received by staff who were respectful and familiar to them.
The service had robust quality assurance procedures which included various audits and regular staff competency checks. This helped ensure the quality of care was maintained and any issues were identified and resolved promptly.
People’s, relative’s and staff member’s views were sought in annual surveys and used to influence the direction of the service. Compliments were shared with staff which helped motivate them. Staff told us they got on well with their colleagues and that they felt proud to work for Altogether Care LLP – Yeovil Care at Home. One staff member said, “I honestly can't imagine working anywhere else.”
Staff told us, the registered manager was supportive, approachable and a good listener. Care staff felt supported by the office staff. People and relatives considered the service well led and organised. One relative said, "The company has a great manager."
The service had established and maintained positive working relationships with other agencies including district nurses, social work teams and GP surgeries.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 3 August 2018).
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services which have had a recent Direct Monitoring Approach (DMA) assessment where no further action was needed to seek assurance about this decision and to identify learning about the DMA process.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Altogether Care LLP – Yeovil Care at Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.