The Care Partnership

Updated 25 May 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

Two inspectors carried out the inspection.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced.

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. Also, people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

Inspection activity started on 6 April 2022 and ended on 11 April 2022. We visited the office location on 6 April 2022.

What we did before inspection

We looked at all the information we held about the service.

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make.

We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We met with four people who used the service and spoke with four relatives on the phone. We also received written feedback from one relative about their experience of the care provided. People we met were unable to fully express themselves to us verbally but used signs, pictures and some speech. We observed people interacting with the staff who were supporting them.

We spoke with six members of staff including support staff and members of the management team. The registered manager was available throughout the inspection.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and a sample of medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records

Updated 25 May 2022

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

The Care Partnership is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people with a learning disability and autistic people. At the time of the inspection they were providing bespoke 24-hour packages of care and support to seven people. The service specialised in supporting people with complex emotional, social and communication needs.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the principles of right support, right care, right culture.

Right Support

People were supported to have maximum possible choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were supported by staff to be involved in all decisions about their care and support. Staff used communication methods which were personal to the individual to enable them to express themselves. Family members continued to feel fully involved.

People received very personalised care and support which was completely built around their needs and preferences. People had their own small staff teams who they knew and trusted. Shift patterns were built around each person’s needs and wishes.

Staff were highly trained and worked with people to reduce periods of distress. People were relaxed with the staff who supported them. Family members praised the staff skills in providing a calm and relaxing atmosphere for people.

Staff supported people with their medicines in a way that promoted their independence and achieved the best possible health outcome. Staff worked with other professionals to avoid people taking unnecessary medicines.

People were supported by staff to pursue their interests and take on new challenges to enhance their quality of life. Photographs and feedback demonstrated that people led very active and social lives and were able to try new things that interested them.

Staff supported people to achieve their aspirations and goals. People had opportunities to meet with staff to plan how goals would be achieved. One family member told us, “They are now doing things I never dreamt they would. All thanks to their care.”

Right Care

People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff were exceptional at understanding and responding to their individual needs. Family members reported to us that people were happier and more settled since The Care Partnership had been providing care and support.

People were kept safe from avoidable harm because the service had a clear policy to support staff to recognise and report abuse or poor care. Staff spoken with said they would be confident to report any concerns about possible abuse or poor practice. Relatives had no concerns about people’s safety.

People who had individual ways of communicating, using body language, sounds, signs and pictures interacted comfortably with staff and others involved in their care and support because staff had the necessary skills to understand them.

People’s care and support plans were extremely personalised. They reflected people’s needs and preferences and this enhanced their wellbeing and enjoyment of life. Staff had an excellent understanding of people’s needs and were flexible to enable them to meet changing needs and wishes.

People received care that was focused on their quality of life and followed best practice. There was ongoing training and supervision for staff to make sure practice always followed best practice guidelines.

People could take part in activities and pursue interests that were tailored to them. The service gave people opportunities to try new activities that enhanced and enriched their lives.

Right Culture

People were supported by a management team who worked hard to promote a culture where people were valued and respected as individuals. This culture enabled people to develop and flourish. Staff spoken with were committed to the values of the organisation.

The culture and practice of the organisation achieved extremely positive outcomes for people. These had included reductions in medicines and reduction in the number of staff needed to keep them safe. It resulted in people being happier and more content which enabled them to access more social situations and therefore more fulfilling lives.

People were supported by staff who understood best practice in relation to the wide range of strengths, impairments or sensitivities people with a learning disability and/or autistic people may have. This meant people received compassionate and empowering care that was tailored to their specific needs.

Staff knew and understood people extremely well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing. Everyone was cared for and valued as the individual they were. All care was totally tailored to their individual needs.

People and those important to them were involved in planning their care. Family members told us they were fully involved in their loved ones lives and felt that the organisation was extremely transparent and approachable.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection.

The last rating for the service at the previous office address was Good, published in August 2019. This is the first inspection since the service registered at it's new office location.

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support right care right culture.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.