# The Office

*Operated by Personal Assistant Care Agency Ltd (PACA).*

The Office is a CQC-regulated home-care agency in Bedford.

## CQC Ratings

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

Rating published: 21/04/2020

## Practical info

- Postcode: MK43 7AU
- Registered manager: Barrett, Alison
- Local authority: Bedford
- Region: East
- City: Bedford
- Last CQC check: 22/Feb/2022 - 00:00

## Inspection findings

### effective

- Finding
  - Staff working with other agencies and supporting people to access healthcare
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Supporting people to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Assessing people's needs and choices; delivering care in line with standards, guidance and the law
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Staff support: induction, training, skills and experience
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Ensuring consent to care and treatment in line with law and guidance
  - Published: 2022-04-03

### Other

- Finding
  - Evidence: No longer in Special Measures and no longer in breach of regulations 11, 12, 13, 17 or 18
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Evidence: Effective partnership working with local authority and healthcare professionals
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Evidence: Approachable registered manager providing regular supervision, spot checks and support to staff
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Evidence: Improved understanding and application of the Mental Capacity Act with no unauthorised restrictions found
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Evidence: Strengthened recruitment processes and required checks completed for new staff
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Evidence: Improved staff training including safeguarding, MCA, infection control and medicines administration
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Evidence: Significant improvement in identifying and mitigating individual risks via new electronic records system
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Evidence: Staff described as kind, compassionate and personalised; one person said carers were 'Just brilliant.'
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- **staffing_levels** _(minor)_
  - Evidence: it had been difficult recruiting new staff, particularly during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This had meant existing staff needing to cover sickness and leave between themselves.
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- **medication_management** _(minor)_
  - Evidence: Staff had experienced some occasional problems with the new system, but these were decreasing.
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- **governance** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: we could not improve the rating for Well-led on this occasion because to do so requires consistent good practice over time.
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- **governance** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: At the time of this inspection, the first audit was underway but not yet complete.
  - Published: 2022-04-03

### safe

- Finding
  - Learning lessons when things go wrong
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Preventing and controlling infection
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Using medicines safely
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Staffing and recruitment
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Assessing risk, safety monitoring and management
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuse
  - Published: 2022-04-03

### well_led

- Finding
  - Working in partnership with others
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staff; promoting a positive person-centred culture
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Managers and staff being clear about their roles, understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirements; duty of candour
  - Published: 2022-04-03
- Finding
  - Continuous learning and improving care; working in partnership
  - Published: 2022-01-25
- Finding
  - Engaging and involving people, the public and staff
  - Published: 2022-01-25
- Finding
  - Duty of candour
  - Published: 2022-01-25
- Finding
  - Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empowering
  - Published: 2022-01-25

## 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/1-5764458707

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