Allcare is a domiciliary care agency based in Southport, Merseyside. It provides personal care and support services to people in their own homes in Southport and surrounding area. At the time of our inspection the organisation was providing support to over 120 people.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated good.

Staff were safely recruited and deployed in sufficient numbers to meet the needs of people using the service. Staff responsible for assisting people with their medicines had received medicines training to ensure they were competent and skilled to do so.

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. Staff received appropriate training and support which allowed them to meet people’s needs effectively. People were supported to maintain a healthy diet and to access healthcare services.

Staff we spoke with demonstrated a genuine positive regard for the people they supported. People received support from the same staff which provided consistency of care and they were familiar with the staff. People told us that staff supported them in a respectful and dignified manner and their privacy was maintained.

The care records that we saw clearly demonstrated that people had been involved in the planning of their care. People’s wishes were clearly recorded in files and regularly reviewed. People told us they had been consulted about the care that was provided for them.

People who used the service knew how they could make a complaint. A copy of the complaints procedure was displayed in the office and in the service user and staff handbook.

Staff told us they were supported through regular supervision and annual appraisals.

The provider encouraged people and their families to provide feedback through a range of formal and informal mechanisms. The registered manager had systems in place to monitor quality and drive improvement. Quality and safety audits were completed on a regular basis.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

We undertook an announced inspection of Allcare Community Care Services on 3 December 2014. We informed the provider two days before our visit that we would be inspecting.

Allcare Community Care Services office is based in Birkdale, Southport, Merseyside. It provides personal care services to people in their own homes in the local and surrounding area. At the time of our inspection the organisation was providing support to over 120 people.

A registered manager was in post. 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.

People who used the service told us they felt safe and secure in the way they were supported by the care staff. There were appropriate numbers of staff employed to ensure a flexible service and to ensure people received the support at a time when they needed it.

Although not all staff had received their refresher adult safeguarding training, they were knowledgeable about adult abuse and clear about the arrangements for reporting any concerns they may have.

Effective recruitment processes were in place to ensure staff were suitable to work with vulnerable people. Staff received regular training for their role, supervision and an annual appraisal.

Each person had a care plan and people told us they were involved with developing and reviewing their care plans.

People who needed support with meals said the care staff prepared food in a way they liked and ensured sufficient food and drink was available to them until the next visit from care staff.

Processes for routinely monitoring the quality of the service were established, including an annual survey and visits to people to check they were satisfied with the service.

We spoke with five people who used the service. They said that they understood the care and choices available to them and that they were involved in making decisions about the care and support they received. They told us that the care workers delivered appropriate care that met their needs and supported their rights. Comments included; "I have used this service for many years and staff make sure that when my needs change, staff update my care plan" and "I am very much involved in my care plan. Everything is discussed with me and my family so we can get the care that I wish for."

We found that the staff received on-going training and support to enable them to provide safe, person centred care.

The agency had a safeguarding policy in place. This included local procedures which staff would follow if they needed to report an alleged incident to the correct authorities.This was designed to ensure that any possible problems that arose were dealt with openly and people were protected from possible harm.

There were arrangements in place to deal with foreseeable emergencies. Care workers said people had contact details of the agency or their family members in the case of an emergency. Staff told us that they had a 24 hour call system and they would take appropriate action if they were called upon.

Information about the safety and quality of service provided was gathered on a continuous and ongoing basis to include gaining feedback from the people who used the service.

As part of our inspection, we sought the views of relatives of the people being cared for. Feedback from relatives was good. One person told us how they liked the fact that staff maintained a professional relationship with the person being cared for. "The carers are very friendly but not overly familiar and I think that is important when they are delivering care in my relatives own home - it's respectful."

Another relative told us how their family member felt comfortable enough to pick up the phone and complain if their regular carer had been unable to attend for any reason. They also told us of feedback forms that were sent out regularly and that they always fill them in.

When staff were asked about their work, one person told us "I really love doing what I do. I think to myself that I am responsible for helping that person stay in the comfort of their own home. It's so important to be able to do that for people. It's a very worthwhile job."

We found office staff supportive of workers in the field. Good communication was evident, and there was a sense of pride in the staff about the service delivered.

Prior to our inspection, concerns had been raised to us about carer’s being late to calls and staff training being out-of-date. People we spoke with told us they were happy with the care provided by Allcare Community Care Services and that their privacy and dignity was maintained when receiving personal care. One person we spoke with told us that carers “Always close the door” when they are offering personal care. People told us that whilst they were not aware of a complaints procedure, they would speak to a member of staff in the office if they had any concerns.

Some people expressed concerns that carers were sometimes late or did not always stay for the full duration of the time allotted, particularly in the evening. People said that this was often because carer’s were not allocated enough time to travel between visits. Most people told us they did not feel their care was compromised as a result of this.

People told us that there was always someone available to speak with at Allcare Community Care Services 24 hours a day and that the staff in the office were helpful and “very polite.” People told us they could request which carers they would like to visit them and that the office staff try to factor this in when planning visits. One person we spoke with told us that their regular carers were “absolutely super”, another person told us that the service was “reliable” which was the most important thing for them.