Acute Need CIC

Updated 18 January 2024

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

This inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors. A regulatory co-ordinator also supported the inspection by making telephone calls.

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 provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 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 8 December 2023 and ended on 22 December 2023. We visited the location’s office on 8 December and 14 December 2023.

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 and professionals who work with the service. 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 2 people who used the service and 2 family members about their experience of the care provided. We received written feedback from 2 health/social care professionals who worked closely with the service.

We spoke with 8 members of staff including the registered manager, the nominated individual, nurses and support workers. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 4 people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at 8 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 18 January 2024

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Acute Need CIC is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care for people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 8 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Right Support:

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People had a choice in who supported them; staff knew people well and trusting relationships had been formed.

The support people received enabled them to maintain their employment and also to pursue leisure interests in their local area. The provider demonstrated a commitment to offering opportunities for people to reduce the risk of experiencing social isolation. Through the support offered there was also a real focus on supporting people to develop independence skills in all aspects of their life.

Right Care:

People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity, understanding and responding to their individual needs.

People received good quality care and support because appropriately trained staff could meet their needs and wishes. People could communicate with staff and understood information given to them because staff supported them consistently and understood their individual communication needs.

Right Culture:

People led inclusive and empowered lives because of the ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the registered managers and staff employed. The provider had clear and effective governance systems in place which identified and managed risks through audits and regular reviews of people’s support. People receiving support, and those important to them, were fully involved in the development and review of their support.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 26 July 2022). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.