Archived: Advance Healthcare (UK) Limited

Updated 10 December 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 16 November 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours' notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that people would be available to talk with us.

The inspection team consisted of one inspector. We reviewed all the information we held about the service. The provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We also reviewed notifications that we had received from the provider about incidents and events that had occurred. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

We spoke with ten people and four relatives of people who used the service, six care staff, a skills assessor and the registered manager.

We reviewed a range of records about people's care and how the service was managed. These included the care records for five people, three staff records, quality assurance audits, accident and incident reports, complaints and records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 10 December 2016

This inspection took place on 16 November 2016 and was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours' notice of our visit because the location provides domiciliary care and we needed to make sure there would be someone in the office at the time of our visit. This was our first inspection of this service.

Advance Healthcare (UK) Limited is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide personal care to people who wish to remain independent in their own homes. The agency provides services throughout Walsall and surrounding areas and provides for people with healthcare and social care needs. At the time of our inspection there were 46 people using the service.

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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

There were good systems and processes in place to keep people safe. Assessments of risk had been completed and staff had clear guidance on how to mitigate these risks. Staff showed good knowledge on how to recognise the signs of abuse and their duty to report suspected issues.

Staff followed appropriate procedures to ensure people received the medicines they needed safely. We found that some guidance on when people needed “as required” medicines could be improved, although staff were supporting people appropriately.

The provider ensured that people were supported by the right number of staff to meet their needs, such as help with mobilising. Staff arrived on time for calls and stayed the expected length of time in order to provide the support people required. Staff were skilled in their roles and knew how to support people in line with their care planning.

Staff knew how to support people’s rights and ensure that they consented to the care they provided. People received person centred care and staff listened to how they wished to be supported on a day to day basis. Staff respected people’s wishes.

Staff reacted appropriately to ensure people received the healthcare they required, such as referrals to the District Nurse service. People’s care was reviewed on a regular basis and staff were kept updated on any changes in people’s needs and wishes.

People knew how to raise any concerns they might have with the provider. The provider ensured that people had received guidance on how to raise issues. People and staff felt that communications within the service were good. People and staff were given opportunities to feedback to the provider about the service in order to drive improvements. The provider listened to people’s views and acted upon them.

We found the registered manager and provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of care. Audits were undertaken of both records and the personal care provided by staff. Staff received regular one to one meetings with management and feedback about their performance and development in a constructive way.