Altimate Care Services UK Ltd

Updated 16 May 2023

The inspection

We carried out this performance review and assessment under Section 46 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act). We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements of the regulations associated with the Act and looked at the quality of the service to provide a rating.

Unlike our standard approach to assessing performance, we did not physically visit the office of the location. This is a new approach we have introduced to reviewing and assessing performance of some care at home providers. Instead of visiting the office location we use technology such as electronic file sharing and video or phone calls to engage with people using the service and staff.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

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 around to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we already held about the service. This included their registration report and notifications. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

This performance review and assessment was carried out without a visit to the location’s office. We used technology such as video calls to enable us to engage with people using the service and staff, and electronic file sharing to enable us to review documentation. Inspection activity started on 3 May 2023 and ended on 9 May 2023.

We reviewed a range of records. This included people’s care records, medicine administration records, audits, staff files, training records and staff supervision records. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service and a sample of policies and procedures.

We spoke with a person and a relative by telephone to obtain their views of the service. We also contacted a member of staff by telephone, to ask them questions about their roles and to confirm information we had received about them during our inspection.

Updated 16 May 2023

About the service

Altimate Care Services UK Ltd is a domiciliary care agency and is based in the London Borough of Havering. The service provides personal care to people in their own homes. 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

People felt safe when staff visited them. There were systems to reduce the risk of abuse and to assess and monitor potential risks to people who used the service. The recruitment procedures were thorough with appropriate checks undertaken before new staff members started working for the service. There were enough staff to meet their care and support needs. The provider had a system in place to record and monitor accidents and incidents. Medicines were managed in a safe way. People were protected from the risks associated with the spread of infection.

Systems were in place to assess people’s needs before they started to use the service. Newly appointed staff completed an induction programme which included attending some training and shadowing experienced colleagues. Staff received regular training, and this equipped them to undertake their role. 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. Where people did not have the capacity to consent, the staff acted in accordance with legal requirements.

Staff had a good knowledge of people they supported and respected their privacy and dignity. They promoted people’s independence. The provider was committed to challenging any form of discrimination it encountered. People were treated equally regardless of their abilities, background, lifestyle, values, beliefs, and their cultures were respected. Staff were aware of the importance of confidentiality and to whom they could share confidential information with.

People received care and support in accordance with their preferences, interests and diverse needs. People’s communication needs were assessed and information on how to communicate with them was included in their care plans. The provider had a complaints policy in place which provided a clear process to record and investigate any complaints received.

The provider was aware of when the CQC should be informed of events and incidents that happen within the service and the responsibilities of being a registered provider. Staff were aware of their responsibilities in ensuring the quality of the service was maintained. The provider had links with the wider community in order to help ensure a joined-up approach to people's support.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 15 February 2021 and this was the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on when the service registered with us.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

This was an ‘inspection using remote technology’. This means we did not visit the office location and instead used technology such as electronic file sharing to gather information, and video and phone calls to engage with people using the service as part of this performance review and assessment.