We carried out this inspection between 17 and 26 March 2026. Infinity Care Limited is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes. CQC inspects only where people receive the regulated activity of personal care, which includes support with personal hygiene and eating. At the time of our inspection, 18 people were receiving personal care. We inspected the service to check whether improvements had been made since our last inspection. The provider had previously been in breach of regulations relating to safe care and treatment and good governance. At this inspection, we found the required improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of these regulations. People had choice and control over their care and were involved in planning how it was delivered. Staff assessed and mitigated risks, and care plans guided safe and effective practice. Medicines were managed safely. Governance systems had strengthened, and the provider showed a clear commitment to learning and continuous improvement. Staff knew people well, treated them with kindness and care, and demonstrated a strong understanding of how to meet their individual needs.
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Date of Assessment: 6 January 2025 to 28 January 2025. The service is a care at home service providing support to adults of all ages in their own home some of whom were living with dementia and / or a range of physical disabilities. At the time of the inspection they were supporting 14 people, some of whom were receiving a live in care service. This was an assessment to check whether improvements had been made following our previous inspection. Quality assurance systems had been implemented however, these were not yet sufficiently robust to identify all of the areas where the quality and safety of the service were compromised. We continued to find shortfalls in how risks to people’s health and wellbeing were managed. Records relating to people’s care were not always complete or, in some cases, contained inconsistencies. Systems had been put in place to investigate and to ensure lessons were learnt from incidents and accidents. These needed to be further refined to ensure they were effective at identifying any themes or trends and managing and mitigating future risks. People were protected from abuse and kept safe. There were appropriate staffing levels. A training programme was in place; however, staff had not always received the training relevant to the needs of the people they were supporting. Overall, the principles of the Mental Capacity Act were now better understood and applied in practice. Staff worked with other agencies effectively. The service supported staff wellbeing and staff felt valued and supported and they were confident to speak up or to share feedback. This service has been in Special Measures since 7 July 2023. The provider has demonstrated sufficient improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions, therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures. We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.
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Infinity Care Limited was rated Inadequate overall following a focused inspection in April–May 2023, with breaches across seven regulations including safeguarding, medicines management, consent/MCA, risk management, recruitment, complaints, and governance. Despite a caring staff culture and positive feedback from people and relatives, the service was placed in special measures due to widespread leadership failures and the registered manager's lack of understanding of regulatory and legislative requirements.
Concerns (12)
criticalSafeguarding: “the provider and staff told us they locked 1 person in their home and records showed this had been happening for at least 4 months”
criticalMedication management: “1 person was prescribed a PRN topical steroid cream. However, MARs showed staff had applied the cream every day for at least 7 months.”
criticalCare planning: “When risk assessments were completed, they did not contain enough information to inform staff how to support people safely.”
criticalGovernance: “The provider did not have an effective governance system or robust quality assurance processes. Quality assurance audits were not completed.”
criticalIncident learning: “The provider did not complete effective investigations into accidents and incidents and had no system to identify or monitor patterns and trends.”
criticalConsent / capacity: “the provider told us they did not complete mental capacity assessments or follow best interest decision making processes”
criticalStaff competency: “records showed staff who were not clinically qualified provided clinical advice without consulting health professionals”
criticalLeadership: “The registered manager did not demonstrate an understanding of the regulatory requirements or relevant legislation. For example, they asked when the Mental Capacity Act (2005) had been introduced.”
moderateRecord keeping: “1 person's logbook for the period between 20 October 2022 and 8 February 2023 was returned to the office on 23 February 2023 and only 5 days were checked.”
moderateStaff training: “Staff did not receive training in specific conditions, for example, diabetes and catheter care.”
moderateComplaints handling: “The registered manager sent an outcome letter to the complainant during the inspection, which was dismissive of their experiences and did not reflect good practice.”
minorSupervision / appraisal: “We found staff supervision records picked up areas for improvement but did not see evidence of action taken in response.”
Strengths
· People and relatives felt safe with staff and spoke highly of the care staff and management team
· Staff reported feeling valued, supported and that management were approachable and listened to them
· Provider was responsive during inspection, taking immediate actions when concerns were raised
· Staff received infection control and food hygiene training with senior spot checks on compliance
· Provider engaged with CQC and local authority following inspection to support improvements
Quality-Statement breakdown (16)
safe: Assessing risk, safety monitoring and managementInadequate
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuseInadequate
safe: Staffing and recruitmentInadequate
safe: Using medicines safelyInadequate
safe: Learning lessons when things go wrongInadequate
safe: Preventing and controlling infectionGood
effective: Ensuring consent to care and treatment in line with law and guidanceInadequate
effective: Assessing people's needs and choices; delivering care in line with standards, guidance and the lawRequires improvement
Infinity Care Limited received a Good rating across all five key questions at its August 2015 announced inspection, with 46 people receiving live-in and domiciliary care in Andover. The service demonstrated strong person-centred practice, robust safeguarding and medicines management, effective leadership, and high satisfaction among people and relatives.
Strengths
· People consistently reported feeling safe with care workers, with relatives confirming 100% confidence in their family members' safety.
· Robust recruitment procedures including DBS checks and references from previous health and social care employers.
· Care workers trained in medicines administration with annual competency assessments by senior staff.
· Contingency plans in place for adverse weather, staff sickness, and office emergencies including remote data access.
· Person-centred care plans detailed individual preferences, hobbies, and needs; relatives involved in planning and reviews.
Infinity Care Limited, a domiciliary care agency serving 37 people in Andover and surrounding areas, was rated Good across all five key questions at its August 2018 inspection. The service demonstrated strong person-centred practice, safe medicines management, robust risk assessment, effective staff training and supervision, and an exceptionally caring culture that extended well beyond statutory requirements.
Strengths
· People and relatives consistently reported feeling safe and well-cared for, with staff described as kind, attentive and unhurried during care visits.
· Robust risk assessment procedures covered personal safety, home environment, medicines, mobility and falls, with continual reassessment.
· Medicines were safely managed with annual staff training and competency checks by senior staff before administration.
· Staff received comprehensive induction and annual mandatory training updates, with regular spot checks assessing care delivery in people's homes.
· Regular one-to-one supervision twice yearly, supplemented by at least monthly observed spot checks by senior support workers.
effective: Staff support: induction, training, skills and experienceRequires improvement
effective: Supporting people to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced dietRequires improvement
effective: Staff working with other agencies to provide consistent, effective, timely careRequires improvement
well-led: Managers and staff being clear about their roles, understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirementsInadequate
well-led: Continuous learning and improving careInadequate
well-led: How the provider understands and acts on the duty of candourRequires improvement
well-led: Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staffRequires improvement
well-led: Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empoweringRequires improvement