Able Carers (York & Harrogate)

At our last inspection we rated the service Good. At this inspection 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 is now rated Requires Improvement in one key question: 'Is the service well-led?'. This is because the quality assurance checks and audits in place were not being used effectively, to identify record keeping issues and drive improvement. However, people expressed satisfaction with the care they received. There was a registered manager in post. People and staff spoke positively about the management of the service.

Risks to people were assessed and action taken to reduce them. The provider took prompt action to address anomalies we identified in some risk assessments. There was a system to record any accidents and incidents, and the provider took appropriate responsive action to learn from any incidents that occurred. Staff were aware of different types of abuse and knew what action they should take if they had any concerns. Where people required it, they were supported to receive their medicines in line with their prescription.

There was a system in place to organise care visits and people told us staff usually arrived on time. There was an electronic call monitoring system, which meant that the provider could identity if care staff had arrived to care visits on schedule. Appropriate recruitment checks were undertaken before staff started their employment, to ensure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people. Staff received an induction, training and on-going supervision to give them the skills and knowledge they needed to care for people effectively.

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.

People received support with preparing meals where required. There was information for staff about people's nutritional and healthcare needs in care plans. Relatives gave us examples to show that staff had been proactive in identifying and responding to health concerns and changes in people's needs.

Staff treated people with dignity and respect. People told us care staff were kind and caring, and we

observed positive interactions between staff and people who used the service. People told us they usually had consistent care staff, which enabled them to build relationships.

Care plans were in place to give staff the information they needed to support people in line with their preferences. This included information about people's communication needs. The provider had a policy for responding to any concerns and complaints. We found issues raised had been responded to appropriately and people told us they would feel confident in reporting any concerns.

Our discussions with staff indicated there was a positive, person-centred culture within the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found