The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated Alpha Care SW Community Services as outstanding, following its first inspection in November.
The service is run by Alpha Care Ltd and provides care at home for children and younger adults who have a learning disability or are autistic. At the time of this inspection 28 people were using the service.
As well as Alpha Care SW Community Services being rated as outstanding overall, it has also been rated outstanding for being caring and well-led. It has been rated good for how safe, effective and responsive the service is.
Catherine Campbell, CQC deputy director of operations in the south, said:
“When we inspected Alpha Care SW Community Services for the first time, we found an outstanding service with passionate staff who went above and beyond to support people.
“Each person using the service had their own video care plan which included their communication styles, preferences, likes, and dislikes. Staff used a range of tools and ways of communicating to engage meaningfully with people through touch, sounds, light, verbally, pointing, eye gaze and using pictures. The service ensured accessible information was available to people so they could see information about decision making as well as their achievements and goals.
“The service promoted people’s independence and empowered people to make choices and take control over their care, treatment and wellbeing. Staff and managers identified barriers people faced and put plans in place to overcome them. For example, one person who wanted to collect their prescriptions independently was supported to do so with discreet monitoring to ensure their safety. This gave the person a level of independence they hadn’t experienced before.
“In addition, staff supported two people who had developed a deep friendship at school but no longer had the opportunity to see one another regularly. Both were unable to verbally communicate their wishes, however staff noticed the overwhelmingly positive effect of their visits. Managers worked with a multidisciplinary team to advocate for them, and the friends are now moving into an independent living setting together.
“Staff understood people’s individual needs and how to support them. They were responsive and able to de-escalate situations when people were in distress. One person was unwell and being treated in hospital while their loved ones were away, but the hospital didn’t have enough staff to support their complex needs. To reduce their distress, the service arranged for a familiar staff member to spend time with the person and enable them to remain comfortable. This positively impacted their hospital stay and recovery.
“Everyone who works at Alpha Care SW Community Services should be very proud of the outstanding service they’ve created. Other providers should look to this report to see if there’s anything to learn from it.”
Inspectors also found:
- People were always treated as individuals with kindness, dignity, and respect. Staff supported people to take part in numerous activities and personal interests which enhanced their quality of life. The service also advocated for people to try and resolve issues which went beyond their remit, such as when a broken pool hoist prevented one person from visiting the leisure centre
- Staff were highly trained and had the right skills and experience to provide outstanding care and support to people. There was a comprehensive induction for new staff and ongoing training was available
- Managers had developed a friendly, open culture where people’s voices were listened to, and feedback was used to continually improve the service. The service made it easy for people to share ideas or concerns and told people what had changed as a result. The registered manager carried out regular home visits to gather valuable feedback
- The service had highly effective auditing in place to monitor its performance and identify safety risks. The service worked with external partners to design, establish and maintain safe systems of care, such as when someone moved from children’s to younger adult services
- Leaders were always visible, knowledgeable and extremely supportive. The registered manager and provider were exceptionally supportive to both staff and people using the service
- People’s loved ones were involved in decisions about their care and felt they would be listened to if they raised any problems. Relatives described how leaders naturally became aware of issues that could escalate and acted quickly to address them and prevent them having an impact on people’s quality of care
- People were informed of their rights and these were respected when care and treatment was given. Care plans showed consent had been sought from people or their legal representatives
- Medicines were managed safely. Staff competency was checked regularly and there were systems to ensure people received their medicines as prescribed
- Staff understood their role in safeguarding people and the service reported concerns quickly and appropriately.
The report will be published on the CQC website in the coming days.