Agape Care Solutions is a service providing care and support to people living in their own homes. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects services where people receive the regulated activity of personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of this inspection, there were 27 people receiving personal care. The inspection took place between 12 March 2026 and 16 March 2026. We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic. Staff received training and supervision to support them in their roles. People received their medicines as prescribed and there were safe procedures in place to ensure this was carried out correctly. The service learned from accidents, incidents and events. People had access to health and social care professionals to ensure their wellbeing was supported. Staff were kind and caring, treating people with dignity and respect. Staff felt supported and appreciated by management. Care plans and risk assessments were person centred, and enabled staff to support people effectively. These were reviewed regularly. However, the provider had not always assessed people’s capacity in relation to some decisions.
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Agape Care Solutions received an overall 'Inadequate' rating following a March–April 2016 inspection, with multiple repeated regulatory breaches spanning medicines management, staff recruitment, training, supervision, care planning, and governance — placing the service into Special Measures. The sole area of strength was caring interactions between staff and people, rated 'Good', while all other key questions evidenced systemic failures unaddressed since a 2013 inspection.
Concerns (12)
criticalMedication management — “People's medicines were not always managed safely. Policies and procedures did not follow current national guidance and staff had not been properly trained.”
criticalSafeguarding — “The policy stated that the registered manager would undertake investigations...and only refer incidents 'of a more serious nature' to the local safeguarding authority.”
criticalStaff training — “Three staff had not undertaken any training; one had been with the organisation since it opened in 2013...and had no previous experience of care work.”
criticalStaff competency — “Staff had not received suitable induction to ensure they could safely work unsupervised...two staff were working towards the qualification but they did not know how much progress the staff had made.”
criticalCare planning — “One person had a care plan for three visits a day but their needs had changed and they received a live in care package and another person had a pressure sore but there was no risk assessment.”
criticalGovernance — “The registered manager confirmed that they had not undertaken any audits or assessments of the service...was not aware of any of the shortfalls highlighted during this inspection.”
criticalLeadership — “The registered manager admitted that she knew what the regulations required but allowed staff to work without proper checks or basic training.”
moderateSupervision / appraisal — “One member of staff had been employed since January 2016 and there were no records of supervision or spot checks. Two other staff...had received only two supervisions.”
moderateRecord keeping — “A number of these records were not dated, timed or signed. In addition, some records were incomplete or illegible.”
moderateConsent / capacity — “Only one member of staff had completed training in the MCA. One consent form had been signed by a next of kin...although there was no evidence...of a Lasting Power of Attorney.”
moderateIncident learning — “Another person had fallen twice whilst being assisted by staff to shower. No risk assessment had been carried out and the person told us that they still worried about falling.”
minorMissed or late visits — “A common issue was that staff arrived late to their calls...'They can sometimes come too early or too late. I have seen it when they come to help my mum for tea at 6.30pm and then come back at 7.30pm'.”
Strengths
· People said staff knew them well, were kind, caring and respectful, and that they felt safe.
· Staff understood how to support people to maintain their dignity and treated people with respect.
· There was a clear system for receiving, investigating and responding to complaints, which were handled appropriately.
· People were supported to access healthcare and staff helped them contact GPs when unwell.
· People and relatives found it easy to contact the registered manager and felt listened to.
Quality-Statement breakdown (17)
safe: Medicines managementInadequate
safe: Risk assessment and mitigationInadequate
safe: SafeguardingInadequate
safe: Staff recruitmentInadequate
effective: Staff induction and trainingRequires improvement
effective: Staff supervision and appraisalRequires improvement
Agape Care Solutions improved from Inadequate (special measures) to Good across all five key questions following a comprehensive inspection in November 2016, having remediated all breaches of regulation identified in April 2016. The registered manager refocused on governance and quality improvement, resulting in robust systems for recruitment, medicines management, risk assessment, staff training, and care planning.
Strengths
· Service improved from Inadequate to Good following special measures, with all warning notice breaches remediated
· Robust staff recruitment procedures implemented including DBS checks, two references, and full employment history
· Medicines managed safely with staff training, competency assessments, spot checks, and completed MAR records
· Detailed, person-centred care plans regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changing needs
· Registered manager stepped back from care delivery to focus on governance, training, and quality improvement
Agape Care Solutions, a small domiciliary care agency in Poole, was rated Good across all five key questions at its August 2019 inspection, maintaining the rating from its previous inspection in March 2017. The service demonstrated safe staffing, effective care planning, compassionate staff, and strong leadership with no areas of concern identified.
Strengths
· Staff demonstrated good understanding of safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures
· Medicines managed safely with staff competency assessed for administration
· Detailed, personalised care plans including life histories and risk assessments
· Staff well supported through regular supervision, appraisals and training including Care Certificate
· Registered manager accessible and maintained open culture with duty of candour understanding