‘Good’ rating for Pinchbeck-based care service

A service which provides personal care in people’s homes has been rated ‘good’.

Care Quality Commission inspectors carried out an assessment of Pinchbeck-based Atlas Home Care Service Lincolnshire between December and February.

“Our assessment found the service was meeting the needs of the people they supported,” the report published on April 14 said.

“However, there were some concerns with timings of care calls to people and there needed to be some improvement of people’s mental capacity assessment.

“Some individual risk assessments needed to be more robust to support staff to provide care for people.

“These issues were discussed with the provider and they were responsive to the issues raised to them and gave us evidence to show how they would improve these areas of care.”

As well as the overall rating, Atlas Home Care Service were also rated good in all categories - safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

The report added: “Our assessment also found people were supported by a staff group who had received adequate training and support in their roles.

“People were safeguarded from potential abuse. Where people needed support with their medicines this was provided by appropriately trained staff.

“The majority of people’s care plans and risk assessments provided staff with the information they needed to support people with personalised care. Where people needed support with their health and nutritional needs this was provided.”

The report added that ‘clear processes’ were in place to support people should they wish to make a complaint about the service.

Inspectors spoke to 35 people and 23 relatives by telephone or visits to their homes, stating ‘a number of people found the irregularity of their calls disappointing’.

“However,” it added. “The majority of people and relatives we spoke with were happy with the care they received from the staff who supported them.

“We received consistent positive comments from people about the way staff worked in a personalised way to provide their care.”