Amphion Home Care Services Limited

Updated 28 February 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.

Inspection team: The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type: Amphion Home Care Services Limited is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides a service to older people and those living with dementia, physical disability or a sensory impairment.

Not everyone using Amphion Home Care Services Limited receives a regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

The service had two managers who were 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 2 working days' notice of the inspection site visit so the registered manager could arrange for staff to speak with us on the day of the inspection.

We visited the office location on 13 and 17 December 2018 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures. We contacted people who used the service and one relative on 18 December 2018.

What we did: Before the inspection, we looked at information sent to us since the last inspection such as notifications about accidents, safeguarding alerts and the Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR 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 contacted the local authority adult safeguarding team and Healthwatch, the consumer champion for health and social care, to ask if they had any information to share.

During the inspection, we spoke with seven people who used the service and one relative. We spoke with a registered manager, a care coordinator and 10 care support workers. We also spoke with staff who worked in human resources and quality assurance.

We looked at a range of documentation such as care files and medication records for eight people. We looked other records for the management of the service such as recruitment, induction and staff training. We also looked at surveys, audits, complaints and staff rotas.

Updated 28 February 2019

About the service: Amphion Home Care Services Limited is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides a service to older people and those living with dementia, physical disability or a sensory impairment. At the time of the inspection, they were providing a regulated activity of personal care and support to 159 people.

People’s experience of using this service:

When talking about the service, one person told us, “It’s fantastic. All staff are very good. I haven’t got a bad word to say about them.”

People were protected from avoidable harm and abuse by staff who could identify and report safeguarding concerns. People’s medicines were administered as prescribed and this was closely monitored. Risks were identified and minimised through appropriate strategies whilst respecting people’s freedom. People were supported by appropriate numbers of consistent staff who knew them well. The provider had completed appropriate pre-employment checks, though their records did not always evidence this and their recording process was to be reviewed.

Staff understood people’s needs and provided support in line with people’s preferences. Staff had completed relevant training, received regular supervision and annual appraisals and people were confident in staff skills and knowledge. People’s dietary needs were met and they were supported to access health services in a timely manner.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff had received training in mental capacity legislation and understood their responsibilities. They knew how to gain consent before delivering care tasks and ensured people could make their own decisions and choices.

Staff maintained people’s privacy and dignity whilst maintaining their independence. People and their relatives were consistently positive about staff and the quality of the service. Staff respected people as individuals and understood people’s religious beliefs and cultural identity.

Care plans contained personalised information that supported to staff to provide person-centred care. Staff were considerate when providing end of life care and supported people to have pain-free, dignified deaths with the support of relevant healthcare professionals.

People knew how to raise a complaint and were confident their concerns would be addressed. Complaints were addressed in line with the provider’s policy and procedure. Where complaints had been received, information had been used to improve the quality of the service.

The management team were a positive influence on staff and had an open and honest approach which was promoted throughout the service. Improving care was a priority of the registered managers and systems and processes were in place effectively monitor quality. People, their relatives and staff were included in the development of the service.

Rating at last inspection: At the last inspection the service was rated Good (published 14 June 2016).

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor this service and inspect in line with our re-inspection schedule or sooner if we receive information of concern.