# About with Friends

About with Friends is a CQC-regulated home-care agency in Cromer.

## CQC Ratings

| Key question | Rating |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | Good |
| Safe | Good |
| Effective | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Outstanding |
| Well-led | Good |

Rating published: 19/10/2023

## Practical info

- Postcode: NR27 9JW
- Registered manager: Higgins, Martin
- Local authority: Norfolk
- Region: East
- City: Cromer
- Last CQC check: 19/Oct/2023 - 00:00

## Inspection findings

### caring

- Finding
  - Respecting and promoting people's privacy, dignity, and independence
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Supporting people to express their views and be involved in making decisions about their care
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Ensuring people are well treated and supported; respecting equality and diversity
  - Published: 2023-10-19

### effective

- Finding
  - Staff working with other agencies to provide consistent, effective, timely care
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Supporting people to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Staff support: induction, training, skills, and experience
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Assessing people's needs and choices; delivering care in line with standards, guidance and the law
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Ensuring consent to care and treatment in line with law and guidance
  - Published: 2023-10-19

### Other

- Finding
  - Evidence: Quality assurance systems included audits of medicines, care planning, delivery, and staff competency.
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Evidence: Complaints were proactively managed; people felt listened to, reducing the need for formal complaints.
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Evidence: Staff felt valued, supported, and worked well as a team; morale described as 'brilliant'.
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Evidence: Infection prevention and control systems were well-managed, with an IPC champion and regular audits in place.
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Evidence: Robust safeguarding systems including electronic reporting forms with immediate alerts to the registered manager.
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Evidence: Strong multi-agency working, with professionals praising the service's outcome-focused and forward-thinking approach.
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Evidence: Communication needs were comprehensively met, including pictorial rotas, easy-read formats, and face-to-face awareness sessions.
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Evidence: People were involved in recruitment of new staff, including sitting on interview panels.
  - Published: 2023-10-19

### responsive

- Finding
  - Improving care quality in response to complaints or concerns
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Supporting people to develop and maintain relationships to avoid social isolation
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Meeting people's communication needs
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Planning personalised care to ensure people have choice and control and to meet their needs and preferences
  - Published: 2023-10-19

### safe

- Finding
  - Learning lessons when things go wrong
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Preventing and controlling infection
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Staffing and recruitment
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Assessing risk, safety monitoring and management
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuse
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Using medicines safely
  - Published: 2023-10-19

### well_led

- Finding
  - Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staff; Working in partnership with others
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - How the provider understands and acts on the duty of candour
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive, and empowering
  - Published: 2023-10-19
- Finding
  - Managers and staff being clear about their roles, and understanding quality performance, risks, and regulatory requirements
  - Published: 2023-10-19

## Source

Data published by the [Care Quality Commission](https://www.cqc.org.uk/) under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Canonical page: https://homecarecompass.co.uk/agency/1-2627277241

HomeCare Compass is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the CQC.