Alma Care Services Ltd

This is the first inspection for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm. The registered manager had appropriate systems in place to identify and act on safety incidents, accidents and other events. They worked well with staff, people and partner organisations to maintain safe care. Risks were explored from the outset and acted on to reduce them.

There were enough staff to deliver care safely and the registered manager gave assurances about only accepting packages of care when they were able to meet people’s needs with the right staffing.

Medicine management, infection prevention and control, and people’s capacity, were all well understood and supported by appropriate policies.

This is the first inspection for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

The registered manager undertook a comprehensive assessment of people’s health, social, communication and broader needs with them and their relatives. They understood people’s needs and worked with social workers and others to put in place the right care. Care was well planned and policies and procedures were informed by current evidence-based good practice and standards.

Staff supported people to maximise their independence. They were aware of people’s rights regarding consent and respected these when they delivered care and treatment. Staff received mandatory and additional training and were well supported by the registered manager.

This is the first inspection for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care. People and relatives were treated with dignity and kindness by staff who valued their input. The registered manager led by example, finding out detailed information about how people wanted to be supported from the outset, and sharing this with staff.

The registered manager reviewed care packages to ensure people’s changing needs and preferences were met, and to ensure staff well-being was maintained. The culture was respectful and one in which person-centred care was prioritised.

This is the first inspection for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

The registered manager understood people’s needs and worked well with staff and others to ensure people received a joined-up approach to care. They advocated well for people to ensure they received the right support and advice when needed when their needs changed.

People and relatives we spoke with felt the registered manager and staff listened to their views and took them on board. They described themselves as being treated as partners in care, or part of a team.

The provider had policies and processes in place to support significant changes in people’s lives, including at the end of their life. No one was receiving end of life care at the time of the inspection. This topic formed part of staff induction.

This is the first inspection for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated good. This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.

The registered manager had delivered their initial vision of a person-centred homecare provider service to a small number of people who had used the service so far. Feedback was consistently positive. People and relatives described how impressed they were with the time taken to understand their needs, and all confirmed the provider had fulfilled the care packages they had agreed to. There was also agreement staff had been respectful, kind, and acted in line with the provider’s aims.

The registered manager’s quality assurances systems had been effective to date. They were relatively straightforward given the service was small and had yet to fully explore electronic record keeping. The registered manager understood the service well and was well placed to introduced new systems and to continually improve the service as it grew.

The registered manager was responsive to feedback and able to demonstrate where they had learned from previous incidents to improve systems, processes or training for staff. The culture was an open one in which people, relatives and staff could raise any issues, with the confidence they would be dealt with openly.