About the service:

Abbots Care Limited (East Dorset branch) provides domiciliary support services to people in their own homes. It provides a service to older people; some of whom have a physical disability, sensory impairment or dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 11 people receiving personal care from the service.

Rating at last inspection:

This was the service’s first inspection as they were registered with the Care Quality Commission in April 2018.

Why we inspected:

This inspection was a scheduled inspection based on our methodology of inspecting services within 12 months of them registering with us.

People’s experience of using this service:

People were supported by staff who had received safeguarding training and understood how to keep them safe from harm or abuse. People’ individual risks were assessed and managed. The service had a recruitment and selection process that helped reduce the risk of unsuitable staff supporting people.

People and relatives felt the staff were well trained and competent. They felt involved and informed. People’s views about the service were frequently sought and used to help make improvements. Compliments were passed on to staff which helped them feel motivated and proud about their work.

People enjoyed visits from the staff and said the service had enabled them to stay well and safe at home. They described the care staff as kind, caring and patient. People were supported by staff who were respectful and knew them well. People could make decisions and express their views about the care and support they received. They 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.

People’s care plans were personalised and included their preferred method of communication which was known, respected and met. Care reviews were carried out with people’s full involvement. People were supported to maintain links with their local community and follow their interests including faith-based activities.

The management of the service were well liked and respected by the staff. Staff felt supported, recognised and valued. Good communication helped the team to remain cohesive and respond quickly to changes in people’s needs.

The service had established positive working relationships with other agencies including district nurses, physiotherapists and a hospital discharge team. This was helping people to stay well and, in the case of the latter, return home without unnecessary delays following treatment.

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

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.