We carried out a review of the data available to us about Lambeth Chinese Community Association on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Lambeth Chinese Community Association, you can give feedback on this service.
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. It is located in the Stockwell area and covers south London.
At the last inspection in February 2016 the key question of well-led required improvement as the agency did not have a registered manager. The key questions for safe, effective, caring and responsive were rated good and there was an overall rating of good. The agency now has a registered manager and the key question well-led that required improvement is now rated good.
There was a registered manager in post. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People told us they were satisfied with the care and support that the agency supplied and enjoyed the way staff delivered the service.
The agency records were up to date and covered all aspects of the care and support provided for people, the support choices they had made and identified that they were being met. They contained clearly recorded, fully completed, and regularly reviewed information that enabled staff to perform their duties well.
Staff knew their responsibilities towards the people they supported, regarding the tasks they performed and were aware of how people liked to be supported. Staff had appropriate skills and provided care and support in a professional, friendly, kind and person centred manner.
Staff were aware that they must treat people equally and respect their diversity and human rights and this was reflected in their care practices during our visits. People said they felt treated fairly.
Staff were in receipt of appropriate training and made themselves accessible to people. They told us the organisation was a good place to work; they enjoyed their work and had access to good training and support.
People and their relatives were encouraged by the registered manager and staff to discuss health and other needs and passed on agreed information to GP’s and other community based health professionals, as required.
Staff protected people from nutrition and hydration associated risks by giving advice about healthy food options and balanced diets whilst still making sure people’s likes, dislikes and preferences were met.
The agency was aware of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and their responsibilities regarding it.
The registered manager was approachable, responsive, encouraged feedback from people and consistently monitored and assessed the quality of the service provided.
The health care professionals that we contacted were happy with the support that the agency provided for people.
Lambeth Chinese Community Association was last inspected on 21 January 2014. The service met all the regulations inspected at that time.
The service did not have a registered manager at the time of this inspection. 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.
People received safe care and support. Staff understood the procedure of reporting concerns of abuse and took action to protect people from harm. The provider had systems in place which ensured staff managed people’s safety effectively. People had their health needs assessed and risks to their well-being identified. Staff had up to date plans with sufficient guidance on how to support people safely. People received support to take their medicines safely. There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs. Pre-employment checks carried out ensured only suitable staff worked at the service.
The service involved people, their relatives and healthcare professionals in planning, assessing and delivery of their care and support. People’s care records had sufficient information about their needs and the support they required. Staff reviewed people’s needs and made changes to their support plans to ensure they received appropriate care.
Staff received relevant training for their role and felt well supported by their managers. Staff had the relevant knowledge and skills to support people effectively. People received support from staff who understood their care needs.
People were asked for their consent to the care and support they received. Staff supported people in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and the requirements of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Staff promoted and upheld people’s rights to understand and make decisions about their care.
Staff received support through regular supervision meetings and appraisals with the manager. The service ensured staff received on-going training and ‘refresher’ courses to update their knowledge and skills to meet people’s needs.
People received care and support delivered by staff in a caring and respectful way. People were happy with the support and care they received. People had established positive relationships with staff. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff supported people to communicate their views about how they wanted to be cared for.
People had their health and care needs met. Health professionals told us the service communicated with them well which ensured people received appropriate care and treatment. People received support with their eating and drinking as required.
People were asked about their views of the service and the way in which their care and support was delivered. The manager visited and made telephone calls to people regularly to check on the standard of support and care they received. People felt listened to and their views were used to improve the service.
People knew how to raise a complaint. The manager investigated and resolved complaints in line with the service’s complaints procedure.
People and their relatives made positive comments about the manager and the service. The manager used audit systems at the service to monitor the quality and safety of people’s care. The service used people’s feedback and audit findings to develop the service and drive improvement.
People we spoke with described the service as 'consistently reliable and giving the right support".
A person told us "The carers are great, they take their role serious and come at the same time each morning, I could not manage without their help".
A relative spoken with described the service as small and personable. They said of the carers, "they are truly remarkable, dependable and always pleasant and polite".
A social care professional we spoke with said "the care staff from Lambeth Chinese Community Association have a great affinity with older people. They display an empathy with the people they care for, they work at a pace people feel comfortable with, the carers do not rush individuals but give quality time to people".
Both people spoken with were satisfied with the quality of the service they received and told us that the carers understood their needs.
We spoke with the relatives of four people receiving the service; they spoke positively of the agency. They said it was important that the agency monitored closely the service delivered and felt this ensured the service remained of a high quality.
A family member spoken with said, "My mother is housebound and receives a number of calls every day from care staff, carers care for all mother's needs, they display empathy and make sure she is comfortable and safe. We as a family find the carers reliable and gentle".
Another relative commented on the agency's understanding of people's cultural needs, they said, "Lambeth Chinese Community Association provides an important service in caring for older Chinese and Vietnamese people, it is culturally sensitive, and meets the many complex needs of my father that other services are unable to provide".
Care plans are developed in English as well as in the language of the person receiving support.
People using the services find that the care staff are very competent and caring, and that they respond flexibly to meet their needs. A person receiving the service said, "Carers from Lambeth Chinese Community Association spend their time doing tasks with me at my pace, I never feel rushed."
The relative of a person receiving a service from this agency told us of his confidence in the service. He told us that his relative would have been unable to remain in his own home without the reliable support received from the agency carers.
The manager of a sheltered housing unit for older people of Vietnamese origin spoke positively of the dedication and commitment demonstrated by care staff supplied from this agency. A local authority officer that monitors the care services described the outcomes for people as good, with room for improvement in keeping records up to date.