Background to this inspection
Updated
29 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 checked 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 5, 6, 7 and 8 June 2017 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 someone would be in.
The inspection team consisted of four inspectors and three experts by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
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 gathered further information about the service from notifications sent to us telling us about important events that happen in the service. We also had feedback from key stakeholders such as the local authority commissioning team, relatives and people using the service.
During the inspection we spoke with 22 people and eight relatives, interviewed nine care and office staff and the registered manager, quality manager, regional manager and chief executive. We observed interactions of staff with people when they came to the office.
We also tracked the care pathways of 18 people by looking at their care files in detail and asking them if they were happy with their care. We looked at records for complaints, safeguarding and incidents, training, supervision, quality audits and six staff files.
Updated
29 September 2017
This inspection took place on 5, 6, 7 and 8 June 2017 and was announced. At our last inspection on 1 March 2016 we found a breach in regulation around safe care and treatment. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and there was no longer a breach in this area.
Alina Homecare North London provides domiciliary care to people in their homes and in the wider community. At the time of this inspection there were 312 people receiving support from this service. The service requires that it employs 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 in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
People said they felt safe. Safeguarding concerns were well managed, with staff having knowledge of how and who to report any concerns to.
Risk assessments were in place but needed further development to ensure they contained consistent information and captured all risks.
People reported an improvement in staff attendance to care visits but staff were sometimes still late. The electronic systems the service was using were not suited to the service and there were gaps in recording when staff attended care visits. The service was taking remedial action and implementing a new system.
The service followed the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA), consent documents were thorough.
Care and office staff said they felt supported by supervision. The induction was thorough and the training provided them with the skills they needed to do their jobs effectively.
People told us most staff were caring and kind, but a small number of staff used their phones during care. The service involved people in their care planning and reviews.
Care files and care was person centred and personalised. People told us they felt listened to, and despite the office not always returning calls felt the service was responsive.
Complaints were managed effectively and in keeping with the provider’s policy.
There was a registered manager in post and they were supported by senior managers. Audits were taking place with some minor gaps in recording and other quality issues not being picked up. The focus of the service was to improve care and build trust with care staff.