We carried out a review of the data available to us about Care Quality Services Colchester 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 Care Quality Services Colchester, you can give feedback on this service.
Allied Health-Services Colchester is a domiciliary care service covering the Colchester, Witham and Clacton areas of Essex. At the time of the inspection the agency was providing personal care to 145 people.
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 were positive about the support the agency provided. They received support from regular and reliable staff.
There were enough staff to cover the scheduled visits to people. There were clear systems in place for the recruitment, induction and supervision of staff.
Risks were assessed, and guidance provided on how to mitigate risks to reduce the risk of harm. Staff were clear about how to raise concerns about people’s welfare and we saw reports had been made appropriately to the Local Authority. However, the relevant notifications had not always been made to CQC which the registered manager agreed to immediately address.
Infection control procedures protected people from the risk of infection, and they assured us they had sufficient stocks of personal protective equipment. The agency was in the process of accessing testing for staff.
Staff received induction and training to ensure that they had the skills they needed for their role.
People’s health and wellbeing was monitored. Where people’s needs changed referrals to health and social care services, such as GPs were made to enable people to maintain their health and independence.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control over their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
Satisfaction surveys were completed to ascertain peoples views on the quality of care they experienced. People told us they were consulted about how they were supported.
Care plans were up to date and contained information and guidance on how to support people in a personalised way.
People told us where they had raised concerns these had been addressed in a timely way and where necessary apologies had been given.
Care staff told us they were supported and listened to by the management team.
Quality assurance systems were in place which explored the experience of people using the service, spot checks and reviews of documentation. This information was used to monitor performance and help drive improvement.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 18 January 2019 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
The inspection was undertaken as the service had not been inspected since it was registered.
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.
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.