Aspire Care Services - East London

Updated 18 July 2019

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

There was one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has 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.

The service had two managers registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. 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. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with five people who used the service and eight relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including two registered managers, four care workers and an administrator.

We reviewed a range of records. This included six people’s care records and multiple medicine administration records. We looked at six staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We also viewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 18 July 2019

About the service

Genesis Recruitment Agency Limited – Domiciliary Care East London is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care to older people and younger disabled adults 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. They were providing personal care to 67 people at the time of the inspection.

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

At our last inspection in 2018 we found there had been breaches to regulations on safe care and treatment and good governance. At this inspection we found improvement had been made; specifically, people were supported with the management of their medicines, risk assessments were personalised and risks were mitigated for people and quality assurance systems had improved. However, some of the service’s documentation contained factual errors and were inaccurate. The provider was able to remedy most of these when we pointed it out to them.

There were safeguarding systems and processes in place. Staffing and recruitment were carried out with people's safety in mind. Staff maintained daily logs to record their ongoing work with people. 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.

People’s needs were assessed before they used the service. Staff were supported through induction, training, supervision and appraisal. People were supported appropriately to eat and drink where this was part of their care plans.

People were well treated and thought highly of staff. Policies and procedures at the service supported equality and human rights. People expressed their views and had input into their care. People's privacy and dignity were respected. People were encouraged to be independent.

People's care plans were personalised and contained details so staff could provide them with care in a way they preferred. People knew how to make complaints and the service responded appropriately when complaints were made. People at end of life could expect care that was fitting and in line with their wishes.

Staff understood infection control practices. Lessons were learned when things went wrong and the provider took appropriate steps to ensure that people were kept safe.

People thought highly of the managers of the service and that it was a good place to work. People and staff were able to feedback about the service and be involved with decision making about their care. The service worked with other agencies to the benefit of people using the service.

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 and only previous rating for this service was requires improvement (published 24 October 2018).

The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.