28 July 2021
During a routine inspection
Abundant Life Care Limited is a domiciliary care agency It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection 17 people were using the service, all of which received personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Medication administration records (MAR) were not always accurately kept. We found that staff were supporting people with medicine administration but were not always recording the names or dosage of the medicines taken.
Safe recruitment practices of staff was not always in place. We found that disclosure and barring checks had been carried out before people were employed. However, when these checks showed previous criminal convictions, no action was taken by the provider to risk assess the employees suitability to work with adults.
The provider did not always seek two employment references when recruiting staff , to ensure the employee’s background was thoroughly checked.
Audits carried out were not always effective, and action was not always taken. The provider had failed to regularly audit and check certain areas of the service, and had not taken prompt and sufficient action when issues were found with MAR (medicines administration records) and recruitment.
Staff were sufficiently trained, but there was no clear oversight on all training records and when they might expire.
People told us they felt safely cared for. Staff understood safeguarding procedures and were confident in reporting any concerns. Risks were assessed and understood by staff.
Staffing levels were sufficient. There were enough trained staff within the service to ensure people’s planned care needs were met. People told us staff were generally on time.
People told us staff followed infection control procedures and wore personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times during their care.
People’s needs were fully assessed and understood by staff. Care plans reflected people’s individual needs.
People’s food and drink preferences were detailed in care plans. Any dietary requirements were documented and observed by staff.
People had access to any healthcare appointments they needed, staff supported people in this area as required.
Staff treated people with respect and dignity, and feedback we received from people and relatives was positive about the care they received.
A complaints system was in place and people knew how to use it. Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect.
There was a registered manager in place and staff felt supported by them.
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.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This service was last inspected on 15 November 2019 and was rated Good.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on current priorities for inspection.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.