Alexander's Care and Support Agency received a Good rating across all five key questions at its May 2018 inspection, demonstrating safe, effective, and person-centred care for 19 people receiving personal care. The service was notable for strong community engagement, robust governance processes, and a highly involved service user community co-producing mental health awareness initiatives.
Strengths
· Staff had undertaken relevant safeguarding training annually and understood their role to protect people from abuse, including awareness of hate and mate crime risks.
· Robust recruitment procedures including DBS checks, employment history verification, and references were in place.
· Sufficient staffing numbers with flexible deployment to cover additional calls and unforeseen absences.
· Medicines management was thorough, with trained staff, completed MARs, weekly audits, and secure storage arrangements.
· Staff received induction, regular one-to-one supervision, observed practice assessments, and annual appraisals; 11 of 13 care staff held or were studying for a professional qualification.
Quality-Statement breakdown (22)
safe: Safeguarding processes and trainingGood
safe: Risk assessment and managementGood
safe: Staffing levels and recruitmentGood
safe: Medicines managementGood
safe: Infection controlGood
safe: Incident recording and learningGood
effective: Needs assessment and care planningGood
effective: Staff induction, training and supervisionGood
effective: Nutrition and hydration supportGood
effective: Multi-agency working and healthcare accessGood
effective: Mental Capacity Act compliance and consentGood
caring: Kindness, respect and compassionGood
caring: Involvement in care decisionsGood
caring: Privacy and dignityGood
responsive: Person-centred care planning and keyworker modelGood
responsive: Activities and community engagementGood
responsive: Complaints handlingGood
responsive: End of life care arrangementsGood
well-led: Leadership culture and management structureGood