A&B Home Care Ltd

Updated 21 July 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

This 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 homes.

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 17 June 2022 and ended on 27 June 2022. We visited the location’s office on 17 June 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the date it was registered. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We sought feedback from Healthwatch which is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with six people who used the service and eight relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the registered manager, the two directors (one of whom was the registered manager), and five support workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medication 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. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 21 July 2022

About the service

A & B Home Care Services Limited is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes. It provides a service to younger adults and older adults, including people living with dementia. At the time of inspection, 29 people were using the service and receiving personal care.

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 safe from the risk of avoidable harm. People told us they were well supported and cared for. Risks to people were robustly assessed and managed. There were enough staff to support people, and they were recruited safely. People’s medicines were managed well, and people received their medicines as prescribed. The provider managed the control and prevention of infection well and staff wore PPE appropriately. Lessons were learnt when things went wrong and there was an open and honest culture within the service.

People’s needs were thoroughly assessed, and support plans were person-centred and kept up to date. Staff had the right skills, training and experience to support people effectively. People received support to eat and drink when needed. People were referred to health professionals appropriately and supported to access other services.

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 treated with kindness and respect, by staff who knew them well. People were supported to express their views and be involved in making decisions about their care. People were treated with dignity at all times, and people were supported to maintain independence wherever possible.

People were fully involved in the development of their support plans, as were families and professionals where appropriate. Support plans focused on people’s individual needs, their preferences and routines, their likes and dislikes, and what was important to them. People’s communication needs were well met. If people raised any concerns, these were dealt with swiftly and appropriately.

The service was well-led. The management team were open and honest, with strong person-centred visions and values. Staff were proud to work for the company and happy in their roles. People and relatives told us they would recommend the service to others. The provider carried out regular quality audits and implemented action plans in response to points identified. People were asked for their feedback regularly and this was welcomed. The provider worked well with others to achieve good outcomes for people.

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 17 March 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection to assess the standard of care delivered by the service and award a rating.

Follow up

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