Agincare UK Poole

Updated 2 March 2023

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 2 inspectors 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 and specialist extra care housing. Extra care housing is purpose-built or adapted single household accommodation in a shared site or building. The accommodation is rented and is the occupant’s own home. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for extra care housing; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support service.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

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 13 February 2023 and ended on 16 February 2023. We visited the location’s office on 14 February 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority service improvement and safeguarding teams. The provider completed 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 8 people who used the service and 4 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with and received feedback from 12 members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager and care workers. We received feedback from health and social care professionals on their experience of working with the service.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 6 people's care records and medication records. We looked at 2 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.

Updated 2 March 2023

About the service

Agincare UK Poole is a domiciliary care agency providing person care and support to people in their own homes, flats and specialist extra care housing. The service provides support to older people some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 76 people 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.

At the time of the inspection, the location did not care or support for anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.

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

Right Support

Developments and changes to the leadership of the service had strengthened oversight. This meant the service was safe. Improvements had been made in various areas of the service but specifically in the prevention of avoidable harm. Since our last inspection the service had improved in areas such as; infection prevention and control, medicines management and staffing levels.

People, their loved ones and staff told us Agincare UK Poole provided a safe service, many commenting on the improvements which had been made. Staff had received training in safeguarding adults and knew who to report to if they had concerns. They told us they felt confident their concerns would be followed up appropriately.

Right Care

People received their medicines as prescribed and the introduction of an electronic system had improved safety with medicines. There were enough staff to meet the needs of people using the service, procedures were in place to manage last minute changes and staff shortages with minimal effect on people. Communication between the service and people when changes were made to their visits had improved. However, for some people this was still a concern, the registered manager told us they were continually working on improving this for people.

Staff were recruited safely, trained and supported to settle into their role. People and their relatives told us staff were kind and caring, they were complimentary about the service. People’s needs were assessed before the service started; they were given an opportunity to discuss the things important to them during their assessment. People were treated with dignity and respect; staff knew the importance of asking consent and offering privacy.

Right Culture

Quality assurance systems were in place and embedded within the service. Additional checks at provider level ensured the service operated effectively. The registered manager and staff understood their roles and responsibilities within the service.

Staff felt appreciated and proud to work at the service. The service had made all notifications to CQC as required by law and appropriate referrals to external agencies. We received overwhelmingly positive feedback about the management of the service and office team at Agincare UK Poole.

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.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 25 January 2022) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

We carried out an announced inspection of this service on 9 and 15 November 2021. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment, staffing and the governance of the service.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Caring and Well-led which contain those requirements.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Agincare UK Poole on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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