Archived: Access Dignity Care Limited Sudbury

Updated 1 May 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one Inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service.

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager, branch manager and four care staff. We reviewed a range of records, including staff files of two staff recently recruited. We looked at records relating to the management of the service, including audits and systems for managing feedback, complaints and records of when checks were made on staff performance and the quality of the care provided.

We also spoke with six people who used the service, one relative and one stakeholder. We looked at training data, care plans, medicines management, quality assurance records and management improvement plans.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 1 May 2021

About the service

Access Dignity Care Limited – Sudbury is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people in their own homes. 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. At the time of this inspection there were 31 people using the service, 24 of these were receiving support with personal care.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The management team and staff understood their responsibilities to recognise abuse and keep people safe. Risks to people’s health, welfare and safety had been assessed and management plans in place to guide staff in steps they should take to safeguard people from the risk of harm.

There were sufficient staff who had the necessary skills and knowledge to meet people's needs and provide care and support in ways that people preferred.

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.

The provider had systems in place to manage medicines and people were supported to take their

prescribed medicines safely, and people were supported effectively with their health needs.

The management team promoted a strong culture of putting people at the centre of what they do, and staff treated people as individuals. People told us they were treated with kindness, dignity and respect by staff who knew them well.

The provider had systems in place to check the quality and safety of the service and take the views and concerns of people and their relatives into account to make improvements to the service. There were opportunities made available for people and or their representatives to give their feedback about the service and raise concerns if they needed.

The management team were visible and actively involved in supporting people and staff. Staff were enthusiastic and confident their views were valued by the management team.

Quality assurance visits were undertaken by the registered manager which provided oversight of the service. People and relatives knew the management team well and confirmed they carried out care reviews and spot checks on staff competency.

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 03/09/2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned first inspection since registration.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.