Homecare Alliance Ltd

Updated 29 September 2018

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, 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 6 August 2018. The provider was given 48 hours' notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to ensure that the registered provider would be present. The inspection was carried out by one inspector and an expert by experience that carried out telephone interviews with people using the service and relatives. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before the inspection we looked at information that we had received about the service and any formal notifications that the service had sent to the CQC. We looked at four care records and risk assessments, five staff files, one medicine record and other documented information related to the management of the service. We spoke with the registered manager, we also received e-mail response from three of the five care workers that we contacted.

Updated 29 September 2018

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community. Homecare Alliance provides domiciliary care services to people living in the community in their own homes in one London borough. At the time of this inspection there were five people using the service including a child with special needs, a younger adult living with a disability and three older people. The service provider has links with community groups specifically supporting people from African communities and received referrals from local authorities who are seeking support from a provider that has knowledge of those communities. 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.

This was the first inspection of the service since initial registration in August 2017.

At the time of this inspection the registered provider also had the role of registered manager of the service and they were a director of the provider company. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission [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.

People using the service had a care plan which contained information about the person and their care needs and requirements. As part of the care planning process, the registered manager carried out risk assessments which covered the home environment, personal care needs, moving and handling and health and safety.

Care workers were trained about how to identify types of abuse and there was clear guidance about the actions they should take if they had any concerns.

The registered manager had a sound knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how this could impact on the provision of care and support. Care plans demonstrated that mental capacity assessments took place and were acted upon.

Care workers received training in the safe administration of medicines. The registered manager monitored medicines recording and administration and there were systems in place to ensure this was managed safely.

The service had safe recruitment processes in place. These included obtaining references and the completion of a disclosure and barring service check prior to care workers commencing their employment. Care workers told us that they felt supported in their role and received regular supervision. None of the care workers had worked at the service for more than eight months.

Care workers, when they first started working at the service, received an in-house induction and training, which included safeguarding, moving and handling and medicine administration.

A spot check system was in place to monitor the care and support provided to people along with regular reviews of people’s care and support needs. No missed visits had occurred and people were contacted if their care worker was delayed.

The service had a complaints policy which was given to people using the service and relatives. The registered manager reported that they had not received any complaints since the service began operating.

People were contacted regularly, which they confirmed, and were asked what they thought and the way the service operated day by day was monitored.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.