Absolute Care UK Limited

Updated 26 July 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.

This inspection took place on 12 June 2018. It was carried out by one inspector and was announced. We gave the provider prior notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to make sure someone would be in the office. An expert by experience made telephone calls to interview people and/or their relatives. This is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

We reviewed the information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. Prior to the inspection we looked at the PIR and all the information we had collected about the service. This included previous inspection reports, information received and notifications the registered manager had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law. We also contacted and received feedback from two community professionals.

During the inspection we spoke with six people who use the service and four relatives. We spoke with the registered manager and received feedback from staff. We looked at records relating to the management of the service including five people's care plans and associated records. We reviewed three recruitment records, staff training records, quality assurance records, the compliments/complaints and policies relating to the running of the service.

Updated 26 July 2018

This inspection took place on 12 June 2018 and was announced. We gave the provider prior notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to make sure someone would be in the office.

Absolute Care UK Limited is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care to people in their own homes. It provides a service to older adults, people living with dementia, physical and learning disability and sensory impairments. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects the service being received by people provided with the regulated activity ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Not everyone using the service receives the regulated activity. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection the service was providing personal care to 120 people.

The service had a registered manager in place. 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.

At our last inspection we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good. There was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

People felt safe while supported by the staff. Relatives agreed the staff supported their family members and made them feel reassured. Staff had a good understanding of how to keep people safe and their responsibilities for reporting accidents, incidents or concerns. Staff had the knowledge and confidence to identify safeguarding concerns and acted on these appropriately.

People and their relatives were treated with respect, and their privacy and dignity were promoted. People and relatives felt the staff supported them in the way they wanted. Staff were responsive to the needs of the people and enabled them to improve and maintain their independence with personal care.

People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff to meet their individual needs. Where possible, the registered manager scheduled visits so the same staff went to see people to maintain continuity of care and support. People were informed about the changes to their visits as necessary. The service had an appropriate recruitment procedure that they followed before new staff were employed to work with people. They checked to ensure staff were of good character and suitable for their role.

Staff training records indicated which training was considered mandatory. The registered manager and senior staff had planned and booked training when necessary to ensure all staff had the appropriate knowledge to support people. Staff had ongoing support through regular supervision and appraisals. They felt supported by the registered manager and maintained great team work. People and relatives were very complimentary of the staff and the support and care they provided.

People received support that was individualised to their specific needs which was kept under review and amended as changes occurred. People's rights to make their own decisions, where possible, were protected and respected. Staff were aware of their responsibilities to ensure people's rights were promoted.

The staff monitored people's health and wellbeing and took appropriate action when required to address concerns. People and relatives felt confident they would be looked after well. The service assessed risks to people's personal safety, as well as staff and visitors, and plans were in place to minimise those risks. There were safe medicines administration systems in place and people received their medicines when required.

Staff felt the registered manager was approachable. They had good communication, worked well together and supported each other, which benefitted the people who use the service. The registered manager had quality assurance systems in place to monitor the running of the service and the quality of the service being delivered. The registered manager was able to identify issues and improvements necessary and took actions promptly to address these. They praised the staff team for their hard work and appreciated their contribution to ensure people received the best care and support. People and relatives agreed they would definitely recommend this service to others needing help and support.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.