Apical Care Agency Ltd

Updated 10 December 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

The 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 houses and flats.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 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.

Inspection activity started on 19 November 2021 and ended on 23 November 2021. We visited the office location on 19 November 2021.

What we did before the inspection

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.

During the inspection

We reviewed a range of records. This included one person’s care records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with one relative who was with a person who used the service and we asked about their experience of the care provided. We also spoke with two members of staff.

Updated 10 December 2021

About the service

Apical Care Agency Ltd is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to adults in their own homes. At the time of this inspection, the service was providing personal care to one person.

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

People and their relatives were satisfied with the care provided by Apical Care Agency. People were involved in making decisions about their care.

There were systems in place to safeguard people from abuse. Risks to people were assessed and monitored. Recruitment processes were robust and there were enough staff working at the service. Medicines were managed safely. Staff were provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect people from the risk of cross infection.

There had been no incidents or accidents, but there were systems in place to ensure lessons were learned when things went wrong.

People's needs were assessed before they began using the service so the provider knew they could meet their needs. Staff received inductions before starting work, so they knew what to do when they started working with people. People were supported with their health care needs and staff communicated with each other to ensure people received effective care. People were supported to eat and drink adequate amount where this part of their care plans.

Care plans were person centred and staff knew what people liked. People's communication needs were met. People were supported with activities. There had been no complaints, but people were provided information on how to complain, if they wanted to.

Systems to monitor the quality and safety of the service were in place. Staff reported having a positive relationship with the provider and felt communication was effective. Quality monitoring systems allowed for the effective monitoring of the service by the provider.

People and staff were pleased with how the service was managed. The provider and service were new and still adapting how they worked. Management were open to change and improvement and wanted what was best for people. The registered manager knew about their duty of care and regulatory requirements. People were able to engage with the service and provide feedback about the care. Staff could provide input into the service through meetings and supervision. The provider hoped to expand their networks and work with others following the lifting of pandemic restrictions.

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 10 August 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This service had not previously been inspected and we wanted to check that people were receiving safe care and support.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service using our monitoring system and will inspect when this is indicated.