We carried out a review of the data available to us about Amber Healthcare Services Ltd 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 Amber Healthcare Services Ltd, you can give feedback on this service.
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. It provides a service to older adults, younger disabled adults and children.
Not everyone using Amber Healthcare Services Ltd. receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection there were 11 people using the service. Most people using the service lived in the Essex area.
There was a registered manager in post. 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 the risk of abuse because staff were trained in safeguarding and knew how to safeguard people against harm and abuse. People and their relatives told us they felt safe with staff. Risk assessments were detailed and provided staff with information to mitigate risks. There was a process for logging accidents and incidents. People were protected from the risk of infection because staff wore personal protective equipment when delivering care. Medicines were administered safely. Protocols for managing PRN medicines were required. We have made a recommendation about the management of PRN medicines.
Staff undertook training and received regular supervision to help support them to provide effective care. The service was compliant with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and staff understood the importance of asking people’s consent before providing care.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People's nutritional needs were met.
The service worked in partnership with other health and care professionals to meet people’s health needs. Health and care professionals and relatives spoke highly of staff and their skills.
Relatives told us that their relatives were well treated and the staff were caring and kind. People’s needs were assessed and their individual needs met. People’s cultural and religious needs were respected when planning and delivering care. Discussions with staff members showed that they respected people’s sexual orientation so that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people could feel accepted and welcomed in the service. People participated in activities of their choice. The service had a complaints procedure in place. Although there was no one receiving end of life care the service had an end of life policy in place.
Staff told us the registered manager was approachable and supportive. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service.
The service is a complex care service that provides support with personal care and complex needs to adult and children living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection ten people were using the service.
The service had a registered manager in place. 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.
We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (regulated activities) Regulations 2014. The service had not followed its own policy and procedure with regard to obtaining references during the staff recruitment process. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this report.
There were enough staff working at the service to meet people’s needs. Appropriate safeguarding procedures were in place and people told us they felt safe using the service. Risk assessments provided information about how to support people in a safe manner. Medicines were managed safely.
Staff undertook an induction training programme on commencing work at the service and received on-going training after that. People were able to make choices for themselves where they had the capacity to do so and the service operated within the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Where people were supported with food preparation they were able to choose what they ate and drank. People were supported to access relevant health care professionals.
People told us they were treated with respect and that staff were caring. Staff had a good understanding of how to promote people’s privacy, independence and dignity.
People’s needs were assessed before they began using the service. Care plans were in place which set out how to meet people’s individual needs. The service had a complaints procedure in place and people knew how to make a complaint.
Staff and people spoke positively about the registered manager. Systems were in place to seek the views of people on the running of the service.
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 is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and to pilot a new inspection process being introduced by CQC which looks at the overall quality of the service.
This inspection was announced, we informed the provider two days in advance of our visit that we would be inspecting. This was to ensure there was somebody at the location to facilitate our inspection. At our last inspection of this service in April 2013 we found that they had met all the regulations we checked at that time.
The service is a domiciliary care service that provides specialist support to disabled people living in their own homes. At the time of our inspection both of the two people using the service had complex health needs and received 24 hour support.
The service had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider.
People and their relatives told us they felt safe. Staff had undertaken training about safeguarding adults and had a good understanding of their responsibilities with regard to this. Risk assessments were in place which provided information about how to support people in a safe manner. Staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. We found there were enough staff working to support people in a safe way in line with their assessed level of need.
Staff had a good understanding of people’s needs and how to support them because they received regular training and supervision. Training covered issues relevant to people’s care and health needs. The service was meeting people’s needs in relation to nutrition and hydration and staff were knowledgeable about how to provide support with this. People were supported to access health care professionals as appropriate.
We saw staff interacted with people in a caring and sensitive manner and that people’s privacy was respected.
People had their needs assessed by the service before the provision of care began. Care plans were in place to meet the needs of individuals. Staff were aware of changes in people’s needs. People and their relatives were able to raise any issues with the registered manager and the service had procedures in place for dealing with complaints.
People told us they found the registered manager to be approachable and accessible. The provider monitored the quality of care and support provided, some of which included seeking the views of people that used the service.
We found that people's care and welfare needs were assessed and regularly reviewed. People's care was delivered in accordance with their care plan. Staff were aware of the needs of people using the service. The provider had taken reasonable steps to protect people from abuse. Staff had a good knowledge about safeguarding issues. People told us they felt safe and knew who to contact if they had any concerns about their safety.
We found there was an effective recruitment and selection process in place and appropriate checks were carried out before staff began work. The provider had systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of service provision and to obtain people's views on the quality of care and treatment they received.