Acacia Homecare Limited is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care to people in their own homes. Not everyone using Acacia Homecare Limited receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also take into account any wider social care provided. The service provides day care and live in care. At the time of our inspection the service provided a regulated activity to 31 people.

Rating at last inspection

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Why the service is rated good

People were encouraged and supported to live as independently as they could. Risk to people`s health, safety and wellbeing were identified and actions were put in place to manage and mitigate the risks to keep people safe.

People received care that met their needs and staff knew them well. People were involved in planning their care and the manager and staff valued their views. Staff were trained and supervised appropriately to ensure that they provided effective care.

People told us they felt they were treated in a caring way and with kindness. People’s privacy and dignity was respected by staff. People had positive relationships with staff.

Staff were aware that they had to obtain peoples consent before assisting them. This was recorded in people’s care and support plans.

The provider had a policy and process for dealing with complaints and concerns. Audits were in place and the manager checked the quality of the service by requesting feedback through surveys and questionnaires which people were asked to complete periodically.

The provider and management team had values and a clear vision that was person centred and focussed on enabling people to live at home. All staff demonstrated a commitment to providing a service for people that met their individual needs.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

This inspection took place on 28 July 2017 and was announced We told the provider two days before our visit that we would be coming because the location provides a domiciliary care service for people in their own homes and staff might be out visiting people and we wanted to be sure someone would be available to assist with the inspection.

The last inspection of this service took place on 10 and 11 May 2017 when we identified two breaches of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. We found that risk assessments were not in place for people who had been identified as having specific risks related to their health or support needs and the administration of medicines were not recorded accurately. The quality assurance systems of the provider had also not been very effective and they had not identified these areas for improvement that we identified, so the provider could address these.

Following the inspection in May 2017 the provider sent us an action plan which confirmed that improvements would be made by 13 July 2017. At this inspection we reviewed the actions identified in the action plan and we found improvements had been made.

This report only covers our findings in relation to these topics. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for ' Acacia Homecare Limited' on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Acacia Homecare Limited is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care to around 38 people in their own homes. The people using the service were paying for their own care.

The provider had developed risk assessments for specific issues related to a person’s health or support needs which had been identified during the initial assessment process or subsequent reviews of a person’s care plan.

The provider had procedures in place and followed these for the safe management of medicines. The registered manager and the provider had identified people who required assistance in relation the administration of their medicines and the appropriate recording systems were now in place.

The provider had implemented monthly audits in relation to the recording of medicines which were effective in identifying issues which needed to be improved.

Following the inspection in May 2017 the service was rated Requires Improvement overall with the key questions, ‘Is the service safe?’ and ‘Is the service well–led?’ rated as Requires Improvement. Following the inspection in July 2017 the ratings for the Safe and Well-led key questions have been changed to Good with the service now given an overall rating of Good.

We undertook an announced inspection of Acacia Homecare Limited on 10th and 11th May 2017. We told the provider two days before our visit that we would be coming because the location provides a domiciliary care service for people in their own homes and staff might be out visiting people and we wanted to be sure someone would be available to assist with the inspection.

Acacia Homecare Limited is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care to around 38 people in their own homes. The people using the service were paying for their own care.

This was the first inspection of the service since it registered with the Care Quality Commission in July 2015 after they moved offices.

At the time of the inspection there was a registered manager in place. 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.

There were procedures in place for the safe management of medicines but staff did not always complete records relating to medicines use as required by the provider’s own systems.

Risk assessments were not in place to ensure specific issues related to each person were identified and guidance provided as to how to reduce any possible associated risks.

The provider had a range of audits in place but those in relation to the recording of medicines were not effective in identifying issues.

Care workers had received the necessary training, supervision and appraisals they required to deliver care safely and to an appropriate standard.

The provider had a policy in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Processes were in place to ensure decisions were made in the person’s best interest if they were assessed as not having capacity.

People we spoke with felt the care workers were caring and treated them with dignity and respect while providing care. Care plans identified the person’s cultural and religious needs.

The provider had a complaints process in place and people knew what to do if they wished to raise any concerns.

Detailed assessments of need were carried out which were used to develop the person’s care plan. The care plans identified how people wished their care to be provided.

People using the service and care workers felt the service was well-led and effective. There were regular team meetings and care workers felt supported by their managers.

We found a number of breaches of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. These breaches relate to the safe care and treatment of people using the service (Regulation 12) and the good governance of the service (Regulation 17). You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.