AQS Homecare Sussex

Updated 17 December 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:

An inspector and an Expert by Experience carried out the inspection. 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:

AQS Homecare Sussex is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses, flats and specialist housing.

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 five days’ 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.

Inspection activity started on 30 October 2019 and ended on 5 November 2019. We visited the office location on 30 October 2019.

What we did before the inspection:

We reviewed information we already held about the service including previous inspection reports, ‘share your experience’ which gives us feedback about the service and notifications which are important events the service is required to tell us about by law. 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 this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection:

We spoke with seven people who used the service and five relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager and five care workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included five people's care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including audits and questionnaire surveys, were reviewed.

After the inspection:

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. Further information was sent to the inspection team via email. We sought feedback from five healthcare professionals via email.

Updated 17 December 2019

About the service:

AQS Homecare Sussex is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to 50 people living in their own houses and flats in the Eastbourne area. Care and support was provided to people living with mental health needs, substance misuse, dementia and physical disabilities.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission (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:

People received a responsive service which was tailored to meet their needs. Staff delivered person-centred care which enhanced people’s quality of life. Healthcare professionals praised the service’s responsive nature and spoke highly of how staff empowered people to remain living at home. There was a flexible approach towards people's changing needs and preferences. Staff recognised the importance of combatting social isolation alongside supporting some people to care for their pets who provided companionship and company.

The service was well-led. Robust systems to monitor and assess the service provided helped the registered manager to identify where improvements were needed, and these were addressed quickly. People were asked for their views about the service and these demonstrated a high level of satisfaction relating to the service they received. Staff were extremely passionate about providing high quality care to people.

People and relatives told us how the care workers and other staff working in the service were caring and respectful. People were provided with a caring and compassionate service. People's rights to independence, privacy and dignity were promoted and respected. People's choices about the service were valued and used to plan their care.

Risks to people were assessed and mitigated. Support was provided to enable people to live safely in the community. Where people required assistance with their medicines, there were systems to provide this service safely. People's care visits were completed as planned. Recruitment of care workers was done safely. Care workers were trained in infection control and the appropriate equipment was provided to reduce risks of cross infection. There were systems to learn from incidents and use the learning to drive improvement.

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. Where people required support with their dietary needs, this was provided. Where required, people were supported to maintain good health. The service worked well with other professionals involved in people's care.

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 rating for this service was good (published 29 March 2017).

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.