Swanton Community Services – Kent

Not everyone using Alina Homecare Specialist Care Kent receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection, the service was supporting 17 people with their personal care needs. People who use the service live in Maidstone, Ashford, Medway and the surrounding areas.

Potential risks had been mitigated and staff understood each person's specifics risks. People were offered the opportunity to be involved in the recruitment of their staff. Support hours were planned around people's activities at times they had specified. Checks and audits took place to promote health and safety within each service. People had been supported to budget with their finances and checks took place to identify any financial discrepancies.

People told us they felt safe and comfortable with the staff. Staff had been trained and were clear on the action to take if they suspected abuse. Potential safeguarding concerns had been reported to the local authority with an audit detailing any actions that required completing.

People had been involved in the management of their medicines. Some people had chosen to store their medicines within a medicine's cabinet in their bedroom, whilst others were kept within a medicine cabinet within the house. Staff had been trained and followed detailed protocols for each person and their specific needs. Staff had been trained and understood the importance of reducing the risk of infection. People had been supported to understand the importance of following guidance during the pandemic.

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.

Feedback and views were sought and acted on from people, staff and relatives. There was an open, inclusive, person centred culture within the organisation where staff felt valued in their role. Services were tailored and developed to meet people's individual needs. Staff worked in partnership with people, relatives and external health care professionals to ensure a consistent approach to meeting people's needs.

Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service people received. A range of checks and audits were completed to ensure people received a high-quality service. Lessons were learnt and improvements were made when things went wrong. Manager's held debriefing sessions with staff following an incident to identify any potential actions to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.

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 guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. People were at the centre of their care and made their own decisions, being supported to understand and weigh up and potential identified risks. The ethos of the service and care records was to support people to be as independent as possible whilst, maximising people choices.