AS Care Limited

At our last inspection in May 2016 we rated the service good. At this inspection on 15 and 16 January 2019 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.

The service had 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 sufficient staff to meet people's needs. We received mixed views from people and relatives about visit times. The registered manager told us there was a system in place to monitor, respond and reduce the risk of late calls. They said, in future, they would ensure clearer understanding and expectations of call times would be discussed at the person's assessment stage. Recruitment processes and procedures were robust. Staff received appropriate induction, training and supervision to provide safe and effective care.

Medicines were managed safely. People's nutritional and healthcare needs were met. People told us staff were caring and kind. Staff respected people's privacy, dignity and encouraged them to remain independent. Staff had a good understanding of what care and support people might need as they were approaching the end of their life.

Staff understood how to keep people safe from harm. Processes were in place to keep people safe and risks associated with people's care and support needs had been assessed. Staff had access to a plentiful supply of gloves and aprons to support good infection control management.

Choices were respected and staff encouraged people to retain their independence. 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.

It was evident from our discussions with staff they had a good knowledge of people's care and support needs. The new support plans were detailed and person centred.

Staff said they felt supported by the office based staff and the registered manager. There were effective quality assurance systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided, understand the experiences of people who used the service and identify any concerns. The registered manager worked in

partnership with other organisations to support people's needs. People and relatives knew how to make a complaint and these were managed appropriately and outcomes actioned.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found