Amber Support Services

Updated 4 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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This was a planned inspection in line with the scheduled re-inspection dates for services rated as outstanding.

Inspection team: The inspection was undertaken by one inspector.

Service and service type: This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses or supported living accommodation. It provides a service to adults with mental health issues and a learning or physical disability.

The service had a manager 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 5 days’ notice of the inspection site visit because the service is a domiciliary service and we needed to be sure there would be someone at the office.

Inspection site visit activity started on 13 March 2019 and ended on 14 March 2019. We visited the office location on 13 March 2019 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures. During the week commencing 2 April 2019 we also spoke with staff and relatives over the telephone and contacted professionals via email.

What we did: Prior to the inspection the provider completed a PIR (provider Information return). The PIR is a form that asks the registered provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed safeguarding alerts and notifications that had been sent to us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

During the inspection we spoke with the registered manager, the nominated individual, three care staff, the provider’s medicine champion, a HR manager and the client voice manager. We also spoke with two relatives over the telephone. We visited three people in their own homes and spoke to them and observed the care they were receiving. Following the inspection, we spoke with a further two relatives and two staff over the telephone. We emailed four professionals seeking their views of the service. We looked at a range of records, both in paper form and those stored electronically. We examined three care records of people who used the service, medicine records, staff recruitment and training records and a range of other policies and quality monitoring documents.

Updated 4 July 2019

About the service: Amber Support Services provides a personal care service to adults with a mental health issue, learning or physical disability, living in either their own home or supported living. At the time of the inspection there were 14 people receiving support with personal care.

People’s experience of using this service: People using the service benefitted from good care, delivered in a manner which was personal to them and based on their assessed needs. Relatives we spoke with praised both the care staff and the management of the service for their dedication to deliver high quality care.

Relatives told us they felt their relations were safe when being supported with care and said all the staff worked in a way that respected their privacy and dignity. They told us they felt people looked on care staff as friends and welcomed them into their homes and their lives. The service made a formal promise around the delivery of care; to ensure it was personal and tailored to the individual. This ethos was infused throughout the service, including care staff, office staff and the provider. Staff told us they felt valued by the organisation. The service had recently been awarded gold status by the ‘Investors in People’ organisation. People were involved in care decisions and the running of the service. The provider had in place a client voice manager and user engagement process to support people and gain their views.

People we visited looked content and relaxed in the company of staff. Staff we spoke with had a good understanding of people as individuals and the care and support they required. Relatives told us they felt involved in the care process and that they could contact the provider or registered manager at any time. The service had a range of activities and events to help people enjoy fulfilling lives and promote and encourage independence. Staff told us the service encouraged them to look for new ways of supporting and engaging people.

Staff told us they were very happy working for the service. They confirmed they could access a range of training and development opportunities and were well supported by senior staff in the organisation. They felt there was an extremely positive culture in the organisation and felt valued. The provider and registered manager undertook care shifts to maintain contact with people who used the service and assess the quality of care first hand.

Rating at last inspection: outstanding (report published October 2015).

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on previous rating. The service is rated as good.

Follow up: Going forward we will continue to monitor this service and plan to inspect in line with schedule for those services rated as good.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk