Background to this inspection
Updated
26 June 2019
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team: The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type: Affinity Trust is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care and support to individuals within their own homes throughout the local community and people living in a supported living setting. People's care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people's personal care and support.
Not everyone using Affinity Trust services received personal care support. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) only inspects the service received by people provided with their personal care and help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating.
Notice of inspection: We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.
Inspection site visit activity started on 16 April 2019 and ended on 29 April 2019. On 16 April 2019, we spoke with people and staff by telephone. We visited the office location on 25 April 2019. We visited people in their homes on 29 April 2019.
What we did: Before the inspection, the provider sent us a Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed information we held about the home, such as details about incidents the provider must notify CQC about, for example incidents of abuse.
We also reviewed all other information sent to us from other stakeholders, for example the local authority and members of the public.
During the inspection: We spoke with three people and one relative to ask about their experience of the care provided. We looked at four people's care records and medicine records. We spoke with the registered manager and two staff members. We looked at two staff files for recruitment, supervision and appraisal and training records. We also looked at quality monitoring records relating to the management of the service such as audits and quality assurance reports.
Updated
26 June 2019
About the service: Affinity Trust offers domiciliary care and support to a range of people living in their own homes and supported living tenancies. At the time of our inspection visit the service supported 28 people who received personal care including people living with learning disabilities.
The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.
People’s experience of using the service: People were supported safely and protected from harm. There were systems in place to reduce the risk of abuse and to assess and monitor potential risks to people.
The management of medicines was safe. Risk assessments had been completed and provided detailed guidance for staff to follow. Incidents and accidents were managed effectively; lessons learnt were shared with staff to reduce the risk of further occurrences.
There were enough skilled and experienced staff to meet the needs of people who used the service. Recruitment checks were completed on new staff to ensure they were suitable to support people who used the service. A comprehensive induction and training programme was completed by all staff.
People told us they felt well cared for by staff who treated them with respect and dignity. People told us they were involved in their care, and what they did on a day to day basis. People's right to privacy was maintained by the actions and care given by staff members.
Initial assessments were carried out to ensure people’s needs could be met. Staff understood people’s likes, dislikes and preferences and people told us they were offered choices about their care.
Some people using the service required end of life care. Care plans recorded people’s preferences for their end of life care.
Where required, people were supported to have sufficient food and drink and their health needs were regularly monitored. Staff followed the advice health care professionals gave them.
Staff understood their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive was possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
A complaints system was in place and there was information so people knew who to speak with if they had concerns.
The provider had embedded quality assurance systems to monitor the quality and safety of the care provided. People were asked for their views and their suggestions were used to improve the service.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection: Good (October 2016).
Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.