Abbey Support & Services Limited

Updated 18 December 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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.

The inspection site visit started took place on 3 December 2018. We gave the registered manager 48 hours’ notice of the inspection because it is a small service and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.

The inspection site visit was carried out by one inspector.

We looked at the provider’s Statement of Purpose. This is a document providing information as to the aims and objectives of the service, the support and services it provides and to who.

We looked at the information held about the provider and the service including statutory notifications and enquiries relating to the service. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us. We also contacted the Local Authority for any information they held on the service. We used this information to help us plan this inspection.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We spoke with four people who use the service, three family members and two friends of people by telephone on 4 and 5 December 2018.

We spoke with the registered manager and operations manager when we visited the office on 3 December 2018. We spoke with four members of staff by telephone on 4 and 6 December 2018.

We looked at the care plans and records of four people. We looked at three staff records, which included their recruitment, induction and on-going monitoring. We looked at staff training records, the minutes of staff meetings and records related to the quality monitoring of the service.

Updated 18 December 2018

Abbey Support & Services Limited is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection, the service was providing support for 24 people residing in Leicester.

Abbey Support & Services Limited 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 announced inspection site visit took place on 3 December 2018.

Abbey Support & Services Limited was previously inspected by the Care Quality Commission on 8 August 2017, where we had identified two breaches of the regulations. The overall rating for the service was requires improvement. During this inspection we found the required improvements had been made.

Following the last inspection of 8 August 2017, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve medicine systems and processes and to ensure effective governance of the service. We found improvements had been made.

People’s records provided information as to the medicine they were prescribed and who was responsible for its administration, such as family members or staff. Staff signed records, where they had the responsibility for administering medicines or applying prescribed creams.

Systems to monitor the quality of the service were found to be effective. Where shortfalls were noted by the registered manager action was taken by them to bring about improvement. The action taken was recorded and communicated with staff.

People’s safety was promoted by staff who implemented the guidance as detailed within people’s risk assessments and care plans. People received their medicines in a safe way. Staff were knowledgeable about people’s care and support and the importance of using equipment to support in the delivery of care safely.

People and their representatives spoke positively about the consistency of a team of staff in the provision of care, which meant people were comfortable and relaxed when they received personal care and support.

People’s needs were assessed to ensure the service and staff could meet their needs. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrict way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff received support from the registered manager, through supervision and checks to ensure they were competent to carry out their roles effectively. Staff received the training they needed to provide safe and effective care to people.

People and their representatives spoke of the positive relationships they had developed with staff. The registered manager had received positive feedback about the service. People’s dignity and privacy was promoted and staff were aware of the importance of confidentiality.

People’s views and those of their representative had been sought to develop care plans, which were regularly reviewed by the registered manager. People’s care plans had considered the individual needs of each person and the role of staff in meeting these Staff who provided care, were able to speak with people in most instances in people’s first language.

People’s knew how to complain and their concerns had been investigated and action taken to address the issues raised.

Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the care being provided, which included seeking the views of those using the service and family members. A range of audits were undertaken to evidence the quality of the care and the accuracy of records used to record people’s care and support. There was an open and transparent approach to the management of the service, which included team meetings, supervision and competency assessments of staff.