Background to this inspection
Updated
7 July 2023
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 Health and Social Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was conducted by 1 inspector.
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.
What we did before the inspection
The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed information we had received about the service since it was registered in May 2022. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 2 people who received a service and 2 members of staff including the registered manager and a care worker. We reviewed a range of records which included risk assessments and care records for 2 people who used the service. We also reviewed 3 staff files in relation to recruitment, accident and incident records, contingency plans and monitoring records.
Updated
7 July 2023
About the service
Ardent Care Connect Services is a domiciliary care service supporting adults in the community who require personal care. 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. At the time of our inspection there were 2 people using the service who received personal care.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us they felt safe. There were safeguarding procedures in place to guide staff. The registered manager and staff had a clear understanding of these procedures. The provider carried out an assessment of people’s care needs before they started using the service to ensure staff could support them safely. There were appropriate recruitment checks before staff started work and there were enough staff available to meet people's care needs. Where required, people received support from staff to take their medicines. People’s individual risks were assessed and there were plans in place to mitigate those risks.
People were supported by staff who were well trained and competent in their role. Staff had received training and support relevant to people's needs. Where required, people received support to maintain a balanced diet. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible, the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People confirmed they were involved in making choices and decisions regarding their care and support. They also told us staff that supported them were caring and respected them as individuals. Care plans were person centred and reflected the needs of each person. Routines were discussed with people and they were involved in their care planning. Staff supported people to make healthcare appointments where needed. People knew how to make a complaint if they were unhappy with the service.
The service was well managed and the registered manager maintained good oversight of the care provided. There were effective systems in place to regularly assess and monitor the quality of the service people received. Staff benefited from regular supervision, competency assessments and observation in their care visits by the registered manager. Staff said they received good support from the registered manager.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
This service was registered with us on 11 May 2022 and this is their first inspection.
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.