Nexus Programme

Updated 16 February 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in 5 ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations. At the time of our inspection there were 2 registered managers’ in post, although 1 was due to de-register with CQC.

Notice of inspection

We gave a short period notice of the inspection because some of the people using it could not consent to a home visit from an inspector. This meant that we had to arrange for a ‘best interests’ decision about this.

Inspection activity started on 6 February 2023 and ended on 7 February 2023. We visited the location’s office/service on 6 February 2023.

What we did before the inspection

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 reviewed information we held about the service since it first registered with CQC. This included notifications we may have received relating to incidents, accidents or any safeguarding concerns.

During the inspection

We visited and spoke with 1 person who received support from the service. We spoke with 4 staff members which included the out-going registered manager, the new registered manager and 2 care staff.

We reviewed documentation in relation to 1 person, 2 staff recruitment files, medicines records and other documentation relating to the service.

We spoke with 1 relative to obtain their feedback in relation to the service provided to their family member by Nexus Programme and we received feedback from 2 health and social care professionals.

Updated 16 February 2023

About the service

Nexus Programme is a service providing care to people in their own supported living service. The service provides the regulated activity of personal care to young people with a learning disability and autistic people. At the time of our inspection of the 6 people receiving care from the service, only 1 was receiving the activity of personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

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

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.

Right Support:

People were supported to have maximum 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 encouraged to make their own decisions and staff supported them with this and adapted to meet the person’s needs.

People were provided with the medicines they needed and accompanied to health care visits when required.

People were supported to learn new life skills, such as housekeeping, shopping and the preparation of meals. They were encouraged with their independence in that staff only supported them with the things they were unable to do by themselves.

Right Care:

Privacy and dignity was shown to people and staff understood people’s individuality well. People were cared for by a consistent staff team who knew them well.

People’s safety was maintained through staff knowledge and guidance. Staff knew what to look out for should they have any concerns about a person and they received appropriate training to provide a good level of care in a competent and confident way.

People were encouraged to live life in the way they wished, to express their views and wishes and develop their own routines. Staff adapted to people’s wishes and respected their uniqueness.

Right Culture:

Management had developed a good culture within the service and the staff team. They led by example and knowledge and through their understanding of people and their needs, people were supported well by Nexus Programme.

Management worked with external health and social care professionals to help people live in the way they wished, with the correct support around them.

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

Rating at last inspection

This is the first inspection of this service which registered with us on 19 March 2018 and moved to new premises on 4 October 2021.

Why we inspected

This inspection was carried out as the service has not been inspected since it registered with CQC.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.