Austen Allen Homecare Ltd T/A Austen Allen Homecare

Updated 20 April 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 carried out by one inspector 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.

Inspection activity started on 23 March 2022 and ended on 31 March 2022. We visited the location’s office, and spoke to people who use the service and their relatives by telephone, on 23 March 2022. We spoke with staff by telephone on 31 March 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. 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 used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager, the training manager and the trainee branch manager. We obtained feedback from three staff members. We spoke with three people who use the service and six relatives of people who use the service. We reviewed a range of records, including five peoples’ assessments and care records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment, training and staff supervision and auditing and monitoring records.

After the inspection

We reviewed information sent to us by the registered manager, including training and supervision records.

Updated 20 April 2022

About the service

Austen Allen Homecare Ltd T/A Austen Allen Homecare (referred to as Austen Allen Homecare in this report) is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people living in their own homes. 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. The service was providing personal care to 25 people at the time of the inspection.

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

People received safe care from Austen Allen Homecare. Individual risks were assessed to support people to remain safe in their home. Medicines administered by staff were safely managed. Sufficient numbers of staff were available to provide people’s care and support and robust recruitment processes were in place.

People’s needs were assessed before their care commenced and individual care plans were developed based on the assessment. People who needed assistance with their nutrition, hydration and healthcare needs received suitable support from staff. Staff received the training and support they needed to make sure they were skilled to provide people’s care.

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.

People were supported to maintain their independence to be able to remain in their own home. Staff were aware of the importance of supporting people to maintain their dignity and showed respect for people and their home.

The registered manager and staff were keen to provide a good quality person centred service. Robust systems were in place to closely monitor people’s care to achieve this aim.

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 15 May 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the timescales for unrated services.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.