Background to this inspection
Updated
9 June 2021
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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by one inspector who attended the location and one inspector who worked remotely conducting telephone calls to service users.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. This service specifically supports people with around the clock care by carers who live in the homes.
The service had a manager 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 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. Inspection activity started on [29 April 2021] and ended on [13 May 2021]. We visited the office location on [29 April 2021].
What we did before the inspection
The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We also reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with two people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eight members of staff including the provider, registered manager, assistant manager, senior care workers and care workers.
We reviewed a range of records. This included four care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at the business continuity plan following the inspection.
Updated
9 June 2021
About the service
Arbour Care is a care service that provides live in carers to all of their clients. These care staff provide personal care to people aged 18 and over. The service was supporting 33 people at the time of the inspection.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us they felt safe with staff. Staff received training relevant to their role and received support from the management team.
People were supported with their medicines where necessary. Staff also supported people to maintain a healthy, balanced diet.
Staff always asked people for consent before providing support and risks were assessed and well managed.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People, relatives and staff all felt confident to raise any concerns with the registered manager and provider. Audits had been implemented to ensure the quality of care and the company was maintained at a good level.
Staff supported people to access health professionals when needed. Ongoing health conditions were also monitored, and advice sought if changes in people’s health were noticed.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection (and update)
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 6 November 2019) and there were multiple breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection.
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of this service on 2 September 2019. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment and good governance of the service.
We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Effective and Well-led which contain those requirements.
The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Arbour Care on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.