About the service:

Assist Home Care Limited is a domiciliary care agency situated in Bradford. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. At the time of the inspection it was providing a service to 62 people who lived in Bradford and Kirklees.

People’s experience of using this service:

People and relatives told us the service was caring and safe. The length and times of visits were generally reliable and effective. People were supported by consistent staff who knew them well. The service employed several bi-lingual staff which ensured effective communication was maintained.

Records relating to the management of medicines were not always clear. This included inconsistent information about creams and “as required” medicines. We have made a recommendation about the management of some medicines.

People’s care needs were assessed, and care was personalised to meet their individual needs and preferences. Care plans were detailed and reviewed regularly through telephone calls and face to face meetings. People’s views were welcomed and used to update care plans and improve the service.

Staff were knowledgeable and received training, induction and supervision to ensure they carried out their roles well. Training was individualised to ensure staff had the appropriate skills to support people.

The registered manager fostered an open team culture where staff felt supported and involved. Quality assurance, audits and spot checks helped identify and drive improvements. The service worked closely with other providers, health agencies and commissioners to the benefit of people.

More information is in the full report.

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection on 29 January and 19 February 2016 the service was rated good.

Why we inspected:

The inspection was part of our routine scheduled plan of visits.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people receive safe, high quality care. Further inspections will be planned for future dates.

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

We inspected Assist Home Care Limited on the 29 January 2016. The visit was made at short notice to make sure the registered manager would be available.

Our last inspection took place on 4 October 2013 and, at that time, we found the regulations we looked at were being met.

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Assist Home care Limited is registered as a domiciliary care agency and provides a range of services including personal care in the Bradford and Kirklees areas of West Yorkshire. The agency provides care and support to people who are elderly, people living with dementia and people with learning or physical disabilities. The agency also specialises in providing care and support to people from the South Asian community and other ethnic minority groups.

There was a registered manager 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.

Staff received training to protect people from harm and they were knowledgeable about reporting any suspected harm. There were a sufficient number of staff available for operational purposes and recruitment procedures ensured that only staff suitable to work in the caring profession were employed. Risk assessments were in place where risks to people’s health, safety and welfare had been identified and action had been taken to reduce these risks.

The staff we spoke with were able to describe how individual people preferred their care and support to be delivered and the importance of treating people with respect in their own homes. The majority of people who used the service and their relatives told us staff were reliable and provided care and support in line with the support plan in place. However, two people had concerns about some aspects of the service provided. These were discussed with the registered manager who confirmed they would address the matters raised.

The support plans we looked at were person centred and were reviewed on a regular basis to make sure they provided accurate and up to date information. The staff we spoke with told us they used the support plans as working documents and they provided sufficient information to enable them to carry out their role effectively and in people's best interest.

The staff we spoke with had a good knowledge of the medicines people they visited were taking and people told us they were satisfied with the way their medicines were managed.

There was a complaints procedure available which enabled people to raise any concerns or complaints about the care or support they received. However, the relative of one person who used the service had concerns about the effectiveness of the complaints procedure.

There was a quality assurance monitoring system in place that was designed to continually monitor and identify shortfalls in service provision. Audit results were analysed for themes and trends and there was evidence learning from incidents took place and appropriate changes were made to procedures or work practices if required.

Members of the senior staff team were accessible and approachable. They undertook spot checks to review the quality of the service provided. Staff, people who used the service and relatives felt able to speak with them and provide feedback on the service.

The registered manager was on leave at the time of the inspection and therefore information about the service was provided by a company director and the recently appointed care co-ordinator.

We spoke with seven people who used the service and/or their relatives. The people we spoke with were all positive about the care and support they received. People told us they had been consulted about the care package they received and their support plans had been discussed with them. We found the provider had assessed people's needs and there was evidence support plans had been amended to reflect people's changing needs.

We spoke with six members of staff employed by the agency. The staff told us they enjoyed working for Assist Home Care and always respected people's rights to privacy and dignity when providing care and support. They also told us they helped and encouraged people to retain their independence and provided care and support in line with their agreed care plan.

We found the provider had enough staff to ensure the safety and welfare of people who used the service and had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided.

We found there was a complaints procedure in place and people who used the service told they were aware of the procedure and would have no hesitation in approaching the manager if they had any concerns about their safety or the quality of the service they received.

The registered manager was on leave at the time of the visit therefore we spoke with the provider. We also spoke by telephone with five people who use the service and three members of staff.

The people we spoke with were very complementary about the care and support provided by the staff employed by the agency. One person told us “Although I have only used the agency a short period of time all the staff are very good and look after me very well.” Another person said “The staff arrive on time and always make sure I have everything I need before they leave, I am very pleased with all aspects of the service.”

The staff we spoke with told us there are clear lines of communication and accountability within the agency and they were supported through a planned programme of supervision, appraisals and training.

We spoke with three people who use the service and they told us staff are conscientious, friendly and helpful. They also told us that staff are reliable, always delivered care and support in line with their agreed care plan and take their views and opinions seriously.