Allot Healthcare Services Staffordshire

Updated 4 April 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 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 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.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post however they were not present on the day of the inspection but supported the inspection remotely.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small 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 Wednesday 1 March 2023 and ended on Wednesday 8 March 2023. We visited the location’s office/service on Wednesday 1 March 2023

What we did before 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 the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 3 people who used the service and 6 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 8 members of staff including the provider, the nominated individual, registered manager, a care coordinator and care workers. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 4 people’s care records and medication records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 4 April 2023

About the service

Allot Healthcare is a domiciliary care service providing regulated activities for 14 people at the time of the inspection. The service provides support to younger and older adults, some who may have a diagnosis of dementia or a physical disability.

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.

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

The provider had recently begun the transition of moving to an electronic care planning system. As a result, we found some elements of some people’s care plans had not been updated to reflect their needs on the electronic system. Audits had been completed to monitor the safety and quality of the service, but some audits did not reflect our findings on inspection due to the records not yet being fully updated. We made a recommendation to the provider about this.

People told us they felt safe and received care and support from a staff team who knew their needs well. However, we received mixed feedback about timings of calls and consistency of the care staff. Staff were up to date with training and adhered to infection prevention control policies and processes.

The provider worked well with other professionals and organisations to ensure people’s healthcare needs were met. 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 were supported in a kind and compassionate way and people told us their privacy and dignity was respected. Independence was promoted. People were able to share their wishes and views about the delivery of their care.

People and staff spoke highly of the registered manager and knew how to make a complaint or raise a concern. Staff understood their responsibilities and felt valued by the management team at Allot Healthcare.

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 9 August 2022 and this is the 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.