Background to this inspection
Updated
16 September 2022
The inspection
This was a targeted inspection to follow up on a specific concern we had about recruitment and safeguarding concerns.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by two inspectors.
Service and service type
Akaba Social UK limited is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flat as well as in supported living accommodation, so that they can live as independently as possible. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.
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 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.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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 the registered manager and one member of staff. We reviewed a range of records. This included six staff files in relation to recruitment, two people’s support records and financial records.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider and validate evidence found. We reviewed safeguarding information, risk assessments, staff meeting minutes and policies in relation to the management of finances.
Updated
16 September 2022
About the service
Akaba Social UK Limited provides a domiciliary care service which offers personal care, companionship and domestic help to support people living in their own home as well as people living in supported living accommodation.
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. At the time of inspection the service was supporting 27 people, but only seven of these were receiving a regulated activity.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People received safe care and treatment from staff who understood their individual needs and risks.
Staff employed had to undergo a variety of pre-employment checks to ensure they were able to work with vulnerable people. However, the provider had not always followed best practice for safe recruitment of staff as they had not identified gaps in employment. We made a recommendation about this.
Staff ensured that people were supported to access a variety of health and social care services to meet their identified needs.
Staff had regular supervision and yearly appraisals to identify development and learning needs. However, the providers training matrix did not identify when staff had completed mandatory training or when this needed to be renewed. We made a recommendation to the provider about this.
Staff were caring and supportive and respected people’s privacy, dignity and diversity. People were involved in planning and reviewing their care and supported to be as independent as possible.
People told us care was person centred. Small care teams provided care that was person centred and staff knew people very well. However, care plans were not always recorded in a person centred way. They did not identify whether people had additional needs when receiving information in line with accessible information standards. We made a recommendation about this.
People felt they could complain without repercussions and told us they found staff and managers approachable.
The provider was passionate about providing good care. However, documentation of evidence to demonstrate the quality of care provided needed to improve. The provider told us they were in the process of advertising for an administration member of staff and we made a recommendation about recording evidence of care.
People found the provider approachable and available and staff echoed this view.
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.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
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 (Published15 February 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Akaba Social Care UK Ltd on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
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.