Archived: Avante Care and Support Limited

Updated 15 November 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 18, 19 and 20 October 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in. Before our inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service which included any enquiries and the 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 also asked a local authority that commissions the service for their views about the service. We used this information to help inform our inspection planning.

The inspection team comprised of one inspector and two experts by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The inspector attended the office and looked at the care records of twenty people who used the service, staff training and recruitment records and records relating to the management of the service. They visited five people using the service at their homes and spoke with them and their relatives. The inspector also spoke with nine members of staff and the registered manager. The experts by experience spoke on the telephone with 23 people using the service and asked them for their views on the service they received.

Updated 15 November 2016

Avante Care and Support Limited provide personal care services to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection the service was providing services to approximately 220 people living in the boroughs of Bexley, Greenwich, Dartford and Swanley. At our last inspection, 14 March 2014, we found the provider was meeting the regulations in relation to outcomes we inspected.

The service had a registered manager in post. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People said they felt safe and staff treated them well. The service had appropriate safeguarding adults procedures in place and staff had a clear understanding of these procedures. There was a whistle-blowing procedure available and staff said they would use it if they needed to. Action was taken to assess any risks to people using the service. People said there was always enough staff available to meet their needs. Appropriate recruitment checks took place before staff started work.

The registered manager and staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and acted according to this legislation. Staff had completed an induction when they started work and they were up to date with their training. People had access to health care professionals when they needed them.

People had been consulted about their care and support needs. Care plans and risk assessments provided information for staff on how to support people to meet their needs. People were aware of the complaints procedure and said they were confident their complaints would be listened to, investigated and action taken if necessary.

Staff said they enjoyed working at the service and they received good support from the office staff and the registered manager. They said there was an out of hours on call system in operation that ensured management support and advice was always available when they needed it.

The provider recognised the importance of monitoring the quality of the service provided to people. They took into account the views of people using the service through satisfaction surveys and telephone monitoring calls. The provider carried out unannounced checks on staff to make sure people were supported in line with their plans of care.