Archived: Allied Healthcare Southampton

Updated 7 June 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 09, 22, 23 & 31 March 2016. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service; we needed to be sure someone would be in.

The inspection was carried out by two inspectors and an expert by experience who had experience of caring for older people. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of service.

Before the inspection, we asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). This 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 reviewed the completed PIR before the inspection. We also checked other information we held about the service and the service provider, including previous inspection reports and notifications about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law.

During the inspection we spoke to fourteen people who used the service, or their relatives, by telephone and visited one person in their own home. We received completed surveys from seven people and one relative. We spoke with the registered manager and seven staff members. We looked at care records for seven people. We also reviewed records about how the service was managed, including five staff training and recruitment records.

We last inspected Allied Healthcare Southampton on 11 April 2013, where no concerns were identified.

Updated 7 June 2016

This inspection took place on 09, 22, 23 and 31 March 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours because the location provides a domiciliary care service; we needed to be sure that someone would be available in the office.

Allied Healthcare Southampton provides personal care and support to people in their own homes. At the time of this inspection the agency was providing a service to 266 people with a variety of care needs, including people living with physical frailty or memory loss due to the progression of age. The agency is managed from a centrally located office base in Southampton.

The agency had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The service was currently in the process of registering the manager for the regulated activity of personal care.

The registered manager was assisted by care delivery managers and field care supervisors for separate branches within the service, which the service referred to as ‘pods’.

We received positive feedback from people about the service. Those people who used the service expressed great satisfaction and spoke very highly of the staff.

People told us they felt safe and secure when receiving care. However, peoples medicines were not always recorded appropriately when staff were applying creams and records did not always show where creams needed to be applied to. Staff received training in safeguarding adults and child protection for when they came into contact with children. Staff knew how to identify abuse and who to report concerns to.

Safe recruitment practices were followed and appropriate checks were undertaken, which helped make sure only suitable staff were employed to care for people in their own homes. There were sufficient numbers of care workers to maintain the schedule of care visits. Staff told us they felt supported and received regular supervisions and support. Staff meetings were held every quarter.

People’s risk assessments and those relating to their homes’ environment were detailed and helped reduce risks to people while maintaining their independence.

People who used the service felt they were treated with kindness and said their privacy and dignity was respected. People were supported to eat and drink when needed and staff contacted healthcare professionals when required. Staff had an understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and were clear that people had the right to make their own choices.

Staff were responsive to people’s needs which were detailed in peoples care plans. People felt listened to and a complaints procedure was in place. Regular audits of the service were carried out to asses and monitor the quality of the service. Staff felt supported by the registered manager and felt they could visit the office any time and be listened to.

The manager demonstrated strong values and a desire to learn about and implement best practice throughout the service.