18 January 2018
During a routine inspection
We undertook an announced comprehensive inspection of Altogether Care LLP on 18, 23 and 24 January 2018. One CQC Inspector conducted the inspection; we gave the provider one day’s notice of the inspection to be sure the people we needed to speak with would be available.
There was an acting registered manager in place who was in the process of applying to be registered. The service also had a deputy manager in place. The deputy manager was in the process of training for the role of registered manager and told us they would apply to become the registered manager once they were fully trained. 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.’
This was the first inspection of Altogether Care LLP since they had moved their office location to Canford Heath, Poole.
People’s risks were assessed and care and support plans developed to ensure care was provided safely. People told us they felt safe with their care staff, who they said were kind, friendly, caring and gentle.
Accidents and incidents were recorded, reviewed and analysed to ensure any trends were identified to enable action to be taken to safeguard people.
There were systems in place to ensure people received their medicines and creams as prescribed. People were protected against the risks associated with the unsafe management and use of medicines. Staff spoke knowledgably about infection control procedures and were provided with supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce the risk of cross contamination.
People were generally provided with support and care by small, consistent teams of staff who they felt were well trained and knew how they preferred their care to be given. Care and support plans gave staff clear guidance on how to support people.
People told us and records showed, weekly rotas were sent to people to highlight which care staff would be completing their visits and when. People said rotas were generally correct, although some changes would happen if care staff were off at short notice.
The provider had a schedule of training in place to ensure all staff received their mandatory and refresher training. This ensured staff had the required skills and knowledge to care and support people safely.
There was an on-going system of supervision and appraisal for staff. Staff told us they found their supervisions useful and felt well supported to carry out their roles. The provider had a robust recruitment system in place that ensured relevant employment checks and references were carried out before staff commenced employment with them.
People knew how to complain and told us they felt they would be listened to and any concerns or worries addressed.
There were systems in place to monitor and assess the quality and safety of the service provided.