Alina Homecare Hemel Hempstead

Updated 1 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: Alina homecare Hemel Hempstead is a domiciliary care service. It provides personal care and support to people who live in their own homes in the community. They are registered to provide a regulated activity of personal care. At the time of our inspection 83 people were being supported by the service.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection: We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection to ensure the registered manager, or other senior staff were available to support the inspection.

Inspection site visit activity started on 15 May 2019 and ended on 20 May 2019. We visited the office location on15 May 2019 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures . We collected feedback about the service from people, staff and professionals on 15 and 20 May 2019.

What we did:

Before the inspection we reviewed information, we held about the service including statutory notifications. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us. We received feedback from the local authority, including a copy of their most recent inspection report. We also reviewed the provider information return (PIR) which we received prior to the commencement of the inspection. This is information that the provider is required to send to us, which gives us some key information about the service and tells us what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection we spoke with seven people who used the service, five members of care staff, the registered manager, the operations manager and the quality and compliance manager. We also contacted relatives and professional for feedback about their experience of the service. We looked at a range of records relating to the overall management of the service. This included three recruitment records, three care plans, risk management arrangements and quality assurance records.

Updated 1 June 2019

About the service

Alina homecare Hemel Hempstead is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection 83 people were being supported by the service.

Peoples experience of using this service:

People told us they would recommend the service to others. One person said, “[Staff] are always very pleasant, very respectful and we have a laugh together and that always releases any worries.” Another person added, “I have no complaints. All the [staff] are very caring and never unkind. They always cheer me up..”

People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm and risks to people were managed safely.

There were enough staff, with the right training and support, to meet people’s needs and help them to stay safe. Staff provided care and support in a kind and compassionate way.

The service acted in line with legislation and guidance regarding seeking people’s consent. People were enabled to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People received personalised care. Their privacy, dignity, and independence was respected and promoted.

Systems were in place for people to raise any concerns or complaints they might have about the service. Feedback was responded to in a positive way, to improve the quality of the service.

There was strong leadership at the service. The management team and the service culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred care.

Arrangements were in place to involve people in developing the service and seek their feedback. Plans were underway to enhance the systems in place to monitor the quality of service provision and to drive continuous improvement. The service worked in partnership with other agencies for the benefit of the people using the service.

Rating at last inspection:

This is the first ratings inspection for Alina homecare Hemel Hempstead since a change in the registration in April 2018.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection as part of CQC’s routine inspection programme. At this inspection we found that the service met the standards of ‘Good’ in all areas.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor information about the service and will carry out another inspection in accordance with our published inspection programme. If any concerning information is received in the interim, we may inspect sooner.

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