Ace Home Support

Updated 1 September 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was conducted by one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An expert by experience is a person who had personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

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

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. The provider was given short notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 16 August 2022 and ended on 17 August 2022. We visited the location’s office on 16 August 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with two members of staff, which were the provider and registered manager. We reviewed a range of records, including records relating to the care and support provided. We reviewed additional records which included staff files in relation to recruitment, and various audits/reports relating to the quality and safety of the service. We requested a variety of records were sent to us relating to staff training and regarding the management of the service.

After the inspection

After our visit we continued to seek feedback from people using the service, their relatives and staff to obtain their views of the service provided to people. We also contacted two healthcare professionals and received feedback from one of them. We received feedback from seven people using the service, three relatives and a further three staff members. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 1 September 2022

About the service

Ace Home Support is a domiciliary care service supporting adults in the community who require personal care in the Chudleigh, Newton Abbot and Ipplepen area.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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. At the time of our inspection there were 17 people using the service who received personal care.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People received safe care from the staff at the service and all the feedback we received was positive. One comment from a relative we received was, “They [person using service] are very happy with them and I know that if there were any problems, they’d be the first to say so.”

People’s individual risks were identified and care was planned in a way to reduce identified risks. Risk assessments were reviewed. Staff understood safeguarding processes and how to escalate concerns.

People’s medicines were managed to meet their needs and sufficient staff were deployed. Staff recruitment was safe, and no concerns were identified around infection control practice.

Staff received an induction together with a continuing training package. Staff were supported through spot checks and feedback. People’s needs around eating and drinking were met. The service worked well with other healthcare professionals.

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.

Without exception, people told us staff were very caring and gave a high level of feedback about the care and support they received. People told us staff treated them with dignity and respect.

Care files were personalised to reflect people’s preferences. There were systems and policies in place to respond to complaints if required. People could be supported by the service at the end of their lives.

Staff told us they were happy in their jobs and gave positive feedback about the service management. People and their relatives gave good feedback on the way the service was managed, and told us that using the service had been a positive step in their lives.

There were systems to assess the quality and safety of the service people received. The service made continuous improvements in response to their findings.

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 27 April 2021 and this is their first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection.

Follow up

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