25 May 2022
During a routine inspection
Suite 8 Old Anglo House is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care. The service provides support to people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection there were 15 people using the service.
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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The provider had failed to operate robust recruitment procedures, including undertaking relevant checks on prospective staff. People's care plans and risk assessments were not always regularly updated. The provider failed to ensure the service was being managed effectively and failed to ensure comprehensive quality and safety monitoring. Medicine management was not always safe as records were not always in place and checked regarding people's current prescribed medicines.
We have made recommendations about the recruitment and training of staff.
Most people told us they were not aware of the content of their care plan and did not have a copy. This meant people were not always fully involved in making decisions about their care. Staff supported people to maintain relationships that mattered to them, such as family, community and other social links.
People told us they felt safe whilst receiving care from staff. People's privacy and dignity were respected, and independence encouraged. People did not feel rushed by staff while they were receiving personal care.
People told us they felt staff were well trained. People felt staff supported them with maintaining a good quality of life. People were supported with their nutrition and hydration when this was required. People told us they were happy with the support they received to eat and drink. Staff knew what they needed to do to make sure decisions were taken in people's best interests and involved the right professionals or next of kin when needed.
People received support from kind and caring staff. People told us they, or their relatives, were involved in making initial decisions about the care they received.
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 at their previous premises was good (published 29 December 2016).
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about the service operating outside of their registration. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.
We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe, effective, responsive and well-led sections of this full report.
You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.
The overall rating for the service has changed from good to requires improvement based on the findings of this inspection.
Enforcement
We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.
We have identified breaches in relation to the provider’s recruitment practices and the leadership of the service at this inspection.
You can see what enforcement action we have taken at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.