Background to this inspection
Updated
16 September 2022
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
The inspection was undertaken by two inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
Registered Manager
This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make.
We also reviewed information we had received about the service, including notifications from the provider, since a change in registration in May 2019.
We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with six people who used the service and three relatives to ask for their feedback. We spoke with the registered manager, the provider’s quality manager and operations manager, the field care supervisor and two care staff.
We reviewed a range of records including six care plans. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
Updated
16 September 2022
About the service
Alina Homecare (Rustington) is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care to people in their own homes. The geographical area covered by this service extends from Rustington towards Worthing in the east and Bognor Regis towards the west of the county. At the time of our inspection, there were 60 people who used the service, with various health needs, including dementia. 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 felt safe receiving support from the care staff. A relative said, “Staff are very good and almost spot on time all the time. We’ve had no missed visits”. Risks to people, including their environment, had been identified and assessed and were managed well. Care plans provided detailed information and guidance for staff on people’s assessed needs. One person said, “Staff know me inside out. They know how I like things”. People were supported to receive their medicines, where required, from trained staff.
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. One person said, “Staff don’t take over. They will listen to what I want and do what I ask. No carer comes in and says, ‘We are doing it this way’. They respect my wishes and they are a very good bunch of carers. I have never really had a problem with them”.
People were supported by kind and caring staff who knew them well. A relative said, “Staff communicate well, they give her attention and they cheer her up. They can sometimes bring a smile out and her face will light up”. People were treated with dignity and respect.
People’s care plans provided detailed information and guidance about their wishes and preferences. Care was personalised and appropriate and people’s cultural needs were acknowledged. Complaints were dealt with in line with the provider’s policy.
People were encouraged to be involved in all aspects of the service. They were asked for feedback about the care they received. Feedback from a relative stated, ‘Carers come once a week to shower my father. They are all kind, respectful, professional and punctual. We couldn’t ask for more; excellent and caring’.
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 at the previous premises was good (report published 2 March 2019).
Why we inspected
The service was inspected because there was a change of registration when the provider moved premises.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.