Assist Care Group - West Sussex

Before people received support from the service, their needs were assessed to ensure these could be met by trained staff. People and their relatives were involved in discussions about their care. 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 completed a range of training which was relevant to their roles and specific to meet people's needs. They received regular supervision from their line managers.

People were supported to eat and drink in a healthy way and staff prepared meals, taking account of people's special dietary needs. People received support from a range of healthcare professionals and service. One person said, "Two months ago, staff stayed with me until the doctor came after calling him. They called my daughter over too, so I wouldn't be on my own later".

People told us that staff were kind and caring and responsive to their needs. People's diverse needs were identified and catered for and care was delivered in a personalised way that met people's preferences. One person commented, "It's fantastic. They all work together to help each other. I'm never left without a carer". People were treated with dignity and respect.

Care plans were drawn-up with people and their relatives and provided detailed information about people's personal histories, as well as their care and support needs, which staff followed. Care plans were held electronically, although hard copies were available for people to keep at home. People's communication needs had been identified, so that staff communicated with them in a way that suited them. Complaints were managed in line with the provider's policy and resolved in a timely manner.

People and their relatives were positive about the service and commented on the caring nature of the staff who supported them. Their feedback was obtained through annual reviews.

A range of audits had been implemented to measure and monitor the quality of the service and to drive improvement. Staff felt supported by the management team. The service worked in partnership with others. At the time of inspection, the service was being overseen by the operations manager and the provider, the last manager having recently de-registered with CQC.