An inner London domiciliary care provider has been rated as 'outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission.
Age Concern - Tower Hamlets, was inspected by CQC in March 2017, when CQC rated the provider as 'outstanding' for being safe and well-led. It was rated 'good' for being effective, caring and responsive.
The inspection found:
• The service was exceptionally well led and had excellent links with the local community and was actively involved in supporting volunteers. It was innovative in creating services for people to use and the impact of this was extremely positive. The registered manager is skilled and experienced. She continually looks for ways to improve the service and infects the whole staff team with her enthusiasm and commitment. She has forged active links with the local community. She uses these contacts to improve care and support for people using the service, and particular around dementia care.
• The service was safe for people that used it and people said they always had the same carers that knew them well and understood their needs.
• Staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding, and what to do if they had any concerns. The registered manager sits on the local safeguarding board, and makes sure that learning from the board is translated into practice. The management team use some innovative apps to monitor care workers and handyman attendance at people’s homes to ensure their safety, and they were also able to monitor the tasks that were being carried out to support the people who used the service. This ensured that people were safe and that their individual needs were being met.
• People who used the service and their relatives said their care workers had enough time to carry out all tasks and staff said they had sufficient time between calls.
Debbie Ivanova, CQC’s deputy chief inspector of adult social care, says: “I am delighted that Age Concern - Tower Hamlets has achieved an 'outstanding' rating overall. What made this service so special was the whole organisation’s commitment to keeping people safe and to continually improve the care they received.
“This service supported people to express their views and be actively involved in making decisions about their care. It promoted the independence of the people who used it."
