appa me limited

Updated 26 September 2017

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.

The inspection took place on 31 July 2017 and was announced. The provider was given 24 hours notice as they are a small domiciliary care provider and we needed to be sure someone would be in.

Before the inspection, the provider 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 reviewed this information and other information we held about the service.

During the inspection we looked at one person’s care records, two staff records, various policies and procedures and other records relevant to the management of the service. We spoke with one person who received a service and two staff members including the registered manager, and the team leader who also provided support to the person.

Updated 26 September 2017

The inspection took place on 31 July 2017 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours' notice as they are a small domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure people would be available to speak with us. The service was last inspected in July 2016. Appa me is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people in their own homes.

At the last inspection in July 2016 we were unable to provide a rating as they were only providing a service to one person. They have continued to provide a service to this person which means we have been able to rate them on this inspection. The provider will need to ensure they maintain standards if they grow to support more people.

The service had a registered manager. 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 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they felt safe with staff. The service had robust systems in place to ensure people were protected from avoidable harm and abuse. Risks to people had been identified and there were plans in place to mitigate risks. There were enough staff in post to provide care and people were involved in recruiting staff which ensured they were a good match to people's individual needs. People did not receive support with their medicines, but there were systems in place to ensure the safe management of medicines should this be required.

People told us they were confident that staff had the knowledge and skills required to deliver support. Staff received training in areas relevant to their role and had regular support and supervision from their manager. People consented to their care and records showed the service emphasised the importance of people making their own choices. People were supported with meal preparation in line with their preferences. People told us staff were knowledgeable about their health needs and provided them with support to access healthcare services when required.

People told us they had developed strong relationships with their staff who they described as trustworthy. Staff spoke about people with kindness and compassion. People were involved in making decisions about their care and their views were clearly recorded in care plans. People told us staff respected their privacy and upheld their dignity.

People told us they were involved in developing, reviewing and updating their care plans. People told us it was easy to make changes and the service was flexible if they wished to make changes. People told us they felt safe and confident to raise any concerns with the provider.

People told us they could contact the management of the service easily and they responded in a prompt and effective way. The provider had quality assurance systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service.