Background to this inspection
Updated
22 May 2019
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team:
The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.
Service and service type:
Agency assistance provides care and support to people living in ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.
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 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit so that we could be sure the registered manager was available when we visited. Inspection site visit activity started on 9 April 2019 and ended on 11 April 2019. We visited the office location on both days to see the registered manager and provider; and to review care records and policies and procedures. On the second day we also visited a day care service operated by the provider on the same site to meet staff and people being supported by Agency Assistance.
What we did:
Before the inspection we reviewed the records held on the service. This included the Provider Information Return (PIR) which is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed notifications. Notifications are specific events registered people must tell us about by law.
During the inspection we spoke with:
• Five people who are supported by Agency Assistance staff and were using the day care centre. We did not visit people in their own homes as this could cause them anxiety.
• The provider, registered manager, systems administrator and three support staff
• We contacted health and social care professionals, court of protection deputies and commissioners and received a response from seven of them.
We also reviewed
• Two people’s care records
• Two personnel records
• Training records for all staff
• Staff rotas
• Audits and quality assurance reports
• Staff supervisions
• Policies and procedures.
• Records of accidents and incidents
• Complaints
Updated
22 May 2019
About the service: Agency assistance provides care and support to people living in ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support. At the time of our inspection there were 46 people receiving personal care from the service in 20 locations in Exmouth, Exeter, Budleigh Salterton and Bridgewater. Some of these were in shared houses and some in individual homes. Peoples ages ranged from 18 to 80 and they were living with a range of needs which included, learning disability, physical disability, mental health, autism, epilepsy and sensory impairment.
Agency Assistance support people for a minimum of four hours a day up to 24 hours a day. Since our last inspection the provider had moved their office to a new location which was on the same site as the day care service operated by the provider.
People’s experience of using this service:
People received care from staff who knew them well. People were involved in decisions about their care and these were respected. If they were unable to be involved, then the relevant individuals were asked to decide on their behalf. People said they were well cared for. Interactions were kind and caring.
Risk assessments were carried out to enable people to retain their independence and receive care with minimum risk to themselves or others. Medicine were managed safely. People were protected from abuse because staff understood how to keep them safe and were sure action would be taken if any concerns were raised. There was a system in place to manage complaints and people and staff felt listened to.
People’s care plans were personalised and included their preferred method of communication which was known, respected and met. Care reviews were carried out with people’s full involvement. People were supported to lead a healthy lifestyle and have access to healthcare services.
There were sufficient and suitable staff to meet people’s contractual agreements. Thorough recruitment checks were carried out. New staff received an induction that gave them the skills and confidence to carry out their role and responsibilities effectively.
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.
The management of the service were well liked and respected by the staff. Staff told us they were well supported. People knew how to make a complaint if necessary which helped ensure that people were safe and that the service met their needs and improved.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection: Good (report published October 2016).
Why we inspected: This was a planned comprehensive inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.