Background to this inspection
Updated
13 April 2016
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
The inspection was carried out by a single inspector and took place on 7 March 2016 and was announced. We told the provider before our visit that we would be coming. We did this because we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in when we inspected as they are involved in providing care to people who use the service.
Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at this information and other information we held about the service. We also spoke with the local authority who commissions some contracts with the service.
We visited the office for the service; we spoke with the registered manager, a member of the office staff and two care workers, we also spoke with another care worker by phone. We spoke with three people who use the service and three relatives to ask them for their views about the service. We looked at four support plans and three staff files as well as records related to the running of the service such as the service guide, policies and procedures.
Updated
13 April 2016
This announced inspection took place on 7 March 2016. This was the first inspection of this service which was registered with the Care Quality Commission September 2015.
Amazin Care Limited provides support and personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of our inspection approximately nine people were receiving personal care and support from this service. The service operates in the London Borough of Bexley and provides packages of care for the local authority and people who pay privately.
The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
We found breaches of regulations in respect of staff training and recruitment. Care workers told us they were well supported to carry out their work; however some improvements were needed to ensure they all received effective training to meet people’s needs. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.
The service was registered to provider care and support to a range of service user groups such as children and families and people with learning disabilities. However the registered manager told us they would not be taking on support and care work to these service user groups until staff received the right training to meet their needs.
People told us they felt safe and well cared for. Staff had received training on safeguarding adults. They knew the signs of possible abuse and were aware of how to raise any concerns. Possible risks to people were identified and plans were put into place to reduce risk. There were arrangements to deal with emergencies.
People were asked for their consent before care was provided. People told us they were involved in making decisions about their care wherever possible and were supported to be as independent as they could be. They said care workers were caring and reliable and that their dignity and individuality were respected. Where people were supported to eat and drink they were asked about their food and drink choices and any concerns were notified to family members or the GP.
Health care professionals were consulted when needed. An assessment of people’s needs was completed before they started with the service and individual delivery plans detailed the care or support to be provided. People knew how to make a complaint if they needed to.
The manager was involved directly in people’s care and was able to monitor the quality of the service directly; spot checks on care workers were also carried out to ensure care was provided as agreed. An electronic call monitoring system had been introduced to monitor the quality of the service. There was effective communication between office staff and care workers. Staff told us the service was well led and the registered manager was approachable and supportive. The provider sought the views of people about the service through direct contact by phone and visits. However we found some improvement was needed as the issues we found had not all been identified by the registered manager.