Abacus Homecare

People's experience of the service and what we found: We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.

Right Support: We found concerns around the care information available to staff to safely manage people's individual risks. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff underwent an induction and received a programme of training and supervision. We were informed competency checks were regularly carried out, but this was not always evidenced. People were supported to access healthcare and the provider facilitated appropriate and timely referrals to other agencies and professionals. Medicines were managed safely. Staff used safe infection control practices. Staff recruitment was mostly safe; however, we found some minor shortfalls in practice.

Right Care: People received care from kind and caring staff, and we received positive feedback from people and relatives. Care documentation needed improvements to reflect people's personal preferences and aspirations. People told us staff knew them well. Staff knew how to protect people from the risk of harm and abuse. Staff treated people well and people told us they were supported to express their views and be involved in their care.

Right Culture: Quality assurance processes were carried out; however, they had not identified and actioned the concerns we found with care documentation. The registered manager listened to concerns and promoted a positive culture that was person-centred, open, and inclusive. Concerns and complaints were listened and responded to. Staff support, teamwork and staff morale was good. Learning was shared from within and outside the organisation and relationships with partner agencies were well established.

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