Atlas Care Services Peterborough

Updated 8 November 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 12 and 13 October 2017 and was announced.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice of this inspection. This is because the manager is often out of the office supporting staff and we needed to be sure that they would be available.

We looked at information we held about the service and reviewed notifications received by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. The registered provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the registered provider to give some key information about the service, what it does well and improvements they plan to make. The registered provider returned the PIR and we took this into account when we made judgements in this report.

During the inspection we visited the service’s office. We spoke with 11 people using the service and we also spoke with four relatives. We spoke with the manager, registered provider, an office based coordinator, field care supervisor, the administrator and five care staff. We looked at five people’s care records and records in relation to the management of the service and the management of staff such as recruitment and training records.

Prior to the inspection we contacted three care managers from the local authority, an officer from the quality improvement team from the local authority to obtain their views about the service provided by Atlas Care Services – Peterborough as part of planning of this inspection. We looked at records relating to the management of risk, care and support, medicine administration, staff recruitment and training and systems for monitoring the quality of the service.

Updated 8 November 2017

Atlas Care Services - Peterborough is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. There were 110 people receiving personal care from the service when we visited. The inspection took place on 12 and 13 October 2017.

At the last inspection on 10 September 2015 the service was rated as ‘Good’. At this inspection we found the service remained ‘Good’.

A registered manager was not in post at the time of the inspection. However, a manager was in place who was in the process of applying to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to become registered. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Systems continued to be in place to manage risks to people using the service and to keep them safe. This included assisting people safely with their mobility, personal care and medicines.

There were sufficient numbers of staff to safely assist and support people. The recruitment and selection procedure ensured that only suitable staff were employed to provide care and support to people using the service.

The manager and staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. People were supported to have choice and control over their lives as much as possible. Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and procedures in the service supported this practice.

People’s needs were assessed, so that their care can continue to be planned and delivered in a consistent way. The manager,supervisors and care staff were knowledgeable about the people they supported and knew their care needs well. People were assisted with their meal choices where required.

Staff were clear about the values of the service in relation to providing people with care in a dignified and respectful manner.

There were processes in place to assess, monitor and improve the service. People had been consulted about how they wished their care to be delivered and their choices had been respected.

People, their relatives and staff were provided with the opportunity to give their feedback about the quality of the service provided.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.