Archived: Action Homecare

Updated 24 April 2019

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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.

Inspection team:

One inspector 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:

Action Homecare is a domiciliary care service. It is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes in the community, including older people and people living with dementia.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This means 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 visit. This is because the manager is often out of the office providing care and we needed to be sure that they would be in the office to participate in the inspection. On 28 February and 1 March 2019 our expert by experience telephoned people who used the service to seek their feedback on the service. Our inspector visited the office on 28 February and 5 March to interview the manager and office staff and to review care records and policies and procedures.

What we did:

In planning our inspection, we reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included any notifications (events which happened in the service that the provider is required to tell us about). We sought feedback from the local authority and other professionals who work with the service. We assessed the 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.

During our inspection we spoke with 16 people and eight relatives to ask about their experience of the care provided. We also spoke with the manager, two care workers and two local social care professionals.

We reviewed a range of written records including two people’s care plans, two staff recruitment files and information relating to the administration of medicines and the auditing and monitoring of service provision.

Updated 24 April 2019

About the service:

Action Homecare is a domiciliary care service. It is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes in the community, including older people and people living with dementia. The service operates in Long Sutton, Sutton Bridge and Holbeach. At the time of our inspection 66 people were receiving a personal care service.

People’s experience of using this service:

• People were at the heart of the service. Staff had a deep understanding of each person’s individual needs and preferences and used this knowledge to provide them with flexible, responsive support which enhanced the quality of their lives.

• People were closely involved in the development of their individual care plan and met with the provider on a regular basis to discuss and agree any changes.

• The provider had a meticulous approach to the deployment of staffing resources. This meant people experienced a high level of staffing continuity which had a very positive impact on their safety and well-being.

• Staff were caring and friendly and supported people with kindness and compassion in ways which often went far beyond the provider’s formal contractual agreement. People were treated with dignity and respect and were encouraged to retain their independence and exercise choice and control over their lives. End of life care was provided with sensitivity and compassion.

• The provider had established highly effective relationships with a wide range of health and social care services and went to considerable lengths to support people in maintaining their health and well-being.

• The registered manager demonstrated strong, inspirational leadership which was admired and appreciated by her team. The provider went to considerable lengths to promote the welfare and happiness of the staff team. Staff had the knowledge and skills to meet people’s needs and were encouraged to study for advanced qualifications.

• Without exception, people told us they were completely satisfied with the service they received and could think of no ways in which it could be improved. Any concerns were dealt with promptly and effectively and formal complaints were extremely rare. The provider maintained a range of auditing systems to monitor service delivery and ensure it remained in line with people’s needs and preferences.

• Systems were in place to identify organisational learning from significant incidents and the provider was committed to the continuous improvement of the service in the future.

• The provider assessed any potential risks to people and staff and put preventive measures in place to address them. People who needed staff assistance to take their medicines were supported safely and staff assisted people to eat and drink whenever this was required.

• Staff knew how to recognise and report any concerns to keep people safe from harm and were aware of people’s rights under 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 way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

• There was a registered manager ('the manager') at the service and the rating from our last inspection was displayed in the office. The manager was aware of the need to inform us of any significant events and incidents.

Rating at last inspection:

Good (Published May 2016)

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. At this inspection we were pleased to find service quality had been sustained in some areas and improved in others. As result the rating of the service is now Outstanding.

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.