Archived: Alina Homecare Harpenden

Updated 29 June 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 was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2014 and to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection was announced and carried out by two inspectors. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice to ensure that they would be available to facilitate our inspection.

We reviewed information we held about the service including statutory notifications. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us. We received feedback from the local commissioning team. We reviewed information submitted on the provider’s information return [PIR].

During the inspection we spoke with four people who used the service, one person’s relative, two staff members, the area manager, the registered manager and the field care supervisor. We viewed three care plans, two staff recruitment files, training records and other information relating to the overall management of the service.

Updated 29 June 2017

This inspection was carried out on 25, 31 May and 1 June 2017 and was announced. This was the service's first inspection since registering with the Care Quality Commission in March 2016.

Alina Homecare Harpenden provides personal care and support for people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection 47 people were being supported by the service.

The service had a manager who was registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they felt safe being supported by the service and confirmed their individual risks were assessed and reviewed regularly. There was a robust recruitment process in place and various pre-employment checks were completed prior to them starting work in the service. There was sufficient trained staff available to meet people’s needs. People were supported to take their medicines safely in accordance with the prescriber’s instructions.

People were supported by staff who had received appropriate training and support from the management team. People’s consent was sought before care was provided and the staff and management were familiar with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts to maintain their health and wellbeing. Where required, people were supported to access a range of healthcare professionals such as their GP, or to make dental or hospital appointments.

People told us the staff were excellent, kind caring and compassionate and that they were treated with dignity and respect. People were involved in planning and review of their care. People’s personal and private information was protected to help ensure their confidentiality was maintained.

People received personalised care that met their needs. These were kept under regular review to ensure when people’s needs changed the service was able to respond accordingly. Detailed information was provided to staff to help them to provide effective and responsive care to people. Where appropriate people were supported to pursue hobbies and interests and the staff arranged social events to bring people together and reduce the risk of social isolation. There was a clear process in place if people needed to raise a concern, but no complaints had been made.

There were systems and processes in place to monitor the overall quality and safety of the service. The registered manager and staff were continually looking at ways to improve the service. People knew the registered manager and told us they felt the service was well managed. People, their relatives and staff were very positive about the all aspects of the service and in particular the registered manager and the management team.