Apex Prime Care - Christchurch

Not everyone who uses the service receives personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.

There were enough staff to provide people's care and the service had missed no care visits. Everyone we spoke with said they or their loved one had regular care staff. However, there had been a recent turnover of staff in the part of the service covering Bournemouth, meaning people had to get used to new staff.

Medicines were managed safely. People received their medicines in the right dose at the right time. The provider's medication policy did not address covert medication, which is the concealment of medicines in a person's food or drink where this is in their best interests. We have made a recommendation regarding the provider updating their medicines policy to address covert medication.

People, relatives and staff voiced confidence in the way the service was run. They felt the management team were approachable and would act on concerns raised.

The registered manager, office team and care staff understood their roles and responsibilities. Staff supervision and observed practice had fallen behind due to the pressures of the pandemic but had recently resumed.

Quality assurance measures were in operation. These included the provider issuing a questionnaire to obtain feedback, and feedback from people and staff in more informal ways. There were also audits of various aspects of the service. Any shortfalls found were addressed.

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.

Based on our review of safe and well-led, the service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

● Right support: Care was planned and delivered in a way that maximised people's choice, control and independence. The service reported back to commissioners of care where care packages seemed overly intense, which risked robbing people of their independence. ● Right care: Care was delivered according to each person's individual needs and preferences. Although there had been changes in staff in some parts of Bournemouth, staff got to know and understand people. Staff also described how they had regular people to visit. Staff and managers promoted people's dignity, privacy and human rights. ● Right culture: The ethos of the service and the values, attitudes and behaviours of managers and care staff ensured people were supported as far as possible, within the limits of their care package, to lead confident, included and empowered lives.