About the service:

Ave Maria Care (Edgbaston) is a small domiciliary care agency registered to provide personal care to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection the service supported 25 people.

The service did not have a manager presently registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), however, the current manager had submitted their application to CQC and was waiting for the outcome of their interview. The registered manager and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

People’s experience of using this service:

The service had not had a permanent registered manager since its registration, which meant there had been a lack of clear and consistent oversight of operations. The provider’s governance systems to check the quality of the service provided for people were not consistently effective and required some improvement. A new manager had been recruited and at the time of this inspection, they were waiting for the outcome of their registration fit and proper person’s interview with CQC.

People and relatives told us they felt the service was safe and there were sufficient numbers of staff that were safely recruited to support people. Staff had completed their induction training that included safeguarding, medication, health and safety and moving and handling. Staff had access to equipment and clothing that protected people from cross infection.

People were protected from potential risk of harm; risk assessments were in place and staff knew how to support people’s individual needs to ensure they provided a consistent level of care. People’s care and support needs were assessed.

Staff received ongoing training they required to meet people’s needs. People accessed healthcare services to ensure they received ongoing healthcare support. People, as much as practicably possible, had choice and control of their lives and staff were aware of how to support them in the least restrictive way.

People were supported by kind and caring staff that knew them well. Staff encouraged people’s independence, protected their privacy and treated them with dignity.

People were supported by staff that knew their preferences. Complaints made since the service started had been investigated and resolved. People and their families knew who to contact if they had any complaints.

People and their relatives’ views were sought about the quality of the care being provided. Staff felt supported by the management team.

People, their relatives and staff were happy with the way the service was managed and the provider worked well with partner organisations to ensure people’s needs were met.

The service did not meet some of the characteristics of Good in one area and more information is in the detailed findings below.

Rating at last inspection:

This was the service’s first inspection since their registration in February 2018.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection that took place on the 30 January 2019.

Enforcement:

No enforcement action was required.

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.