We carried out a review of the data available to us about Sandwell Asian Family Support on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Sandwell Asian Family Support, you can give feedback on this service.
Sandwell Asian Family Support is a domiciliary care service which is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes within the community. At the time of our inspection 14 families received care and support from the service. The age ranges of people being supported were children to young adults.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us they felt safe. Staff informed us of the signs of abuse and the reporting processes they should follow if they had concerns. People's risks were assessed, and staff had a good understanding of how to minimise them. The provider’s on-going recruitment process ensured there were suitable staff to support people safely. Where required people received their medication as prescribed. Staff followed infection control guidance and had access to personal protective equipment.
People were supported by staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives. Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests. People were given choices and their consent was gained before providing support. Staff knew of people’s dietary needs. People had access to healthcare professionals when required.
People were supported by kind and caring staff who knew them well. People's privacy and dignity was maintained. Staff knew it was important to encourage people to maintain their independence.
Assessment and reviews of people’s care and support needs were undertaken regularly or more frequently when it was required. People and /or their relatives were included in these processes to ensure all needs were determined and addressed. People and their relatives knew how to raise concerns and would feel comfortable to do so.
People, relatives and staff spoke positively of the service and the registered manager. Quality assurance systems including spot checks had been used to identify what aspects of the service worked well and where improvements may be needed. Provider feedback surveys had been used to gather information about the views of people and relatives about the service provision.
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.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 10 August 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.
Sandwell Asian Family Support is registered to deliver personal care. They provide domiciliary care to young people and adults living in their own homes, who may be living with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder, a sensory impairment or a physical disability. At the time of our inspection 14 people were receiving personal care from the provider.
The service had a manager that was registered with us; however they had resigned from their post in March 2017. The care manager was responsible for the day to day running of the domiciliary service. 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.
People were protected from avoidable harm and were comfortable with the care staff that supported them. Assessments were undertaken to identify any issues that may put people at risk and care staff were aware of these. Care staff arrived on time and stayed for the allocated amount of time of the call. Care staff employed had undergone a robust recruitment process before they worked unsupervised with people who used the service. People were supported with their medicines effectively.
Care staff were well trained and had the knowledge needed to meet peoples individual needs effectively. New care staff were provided with a comprehensive induction. Care staff supported people in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and were well supported by management. People were assisted to eat and drink in line with their individual dietary requirements. Care staff understood how people’s health conditions affected their lives day to day and supported them to maintain their well-being through effective care provision.
People received their care from kind and compassionate care staff. People were supported to be as actively involved in planning their care as possible along with their families. People were supported by a core group of care staff who had been skill matched specifically to meet their needs. People's privacy and dignity was respected by care staff. Care staff supported people to maintain their independence and care plans included a summary of people's abilities.
Care staff demonstrated a real understanding of individual needs and preferences. People and where appropriate, their families contributed to an assessment of their needs and received care that met their needs and preferences. Care plans provided care staff with information about people, their needs and preferences such as their preferred method of communication. People felt comfortable to complain and were confident that their concerns would be listened to and acted upon.
People, their families and care staff were supported by the care manager who was approachable and responsive to any concerns. The registered manager had resigned from their post in March 2017. The care manager who was acting up had the knowledge and skills to develop the service and was keen to deliver high quality care. Audits were undertaken to check the quality and safety of the service. The care manager had a positive professional relationship with those who used the service and their family members, enabling and providing opportunity for them to comment on the service.