Almond Care Providers Ltd

Updated 13 March 2020

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

A single inspector carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in four ‘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.

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

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 provider or registered manager would be available to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from professionals who work with the service. We used this information to plan our inspection. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, compliance manager, service manager, a unit manager and two care staff. We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medication records. We looked at three 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.

Updated 13 March 2020

Almond Care Providers Ltd provides care and support to people living in a supported living setting so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreement. At the time of the inspection fifteen people were using the service. CQC does not regulate premises for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s care and support.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

The outcomes for people using this service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support. These included promotion of choice and control, inclusion and independence. People’s support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

There were safeguarding procedures in place and staff had a clear understanding of these procedures. Appropriate recruitment checks took place before staff started work and there was enough staff available to meet people’s care and support needs. Risks to people had been assessed and reviewed regularly to ensure their needs were met. People received their medicines as prescribed by health care professionals. There were procedures in place to reduce the risk of the spread of infections.

People’s care and support needs were assessed before they started using the service. Staff had received training and support relevant to people’s needs. People were supported to cook for themselves and they maintained a balanced diet. 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 had access to health care professionals when they needed them.

Staff treated people in a caring and respectful manner. People had been consulted about the care and support they received, and they participated in activities that met their needs. The provider had a complaints procedure in place and people told us they knew how to make a complaint.

The registered manager and staff worked in partnership with health and social care providers to plan and deliver an effective service. Staff enjoyed working at the service and said they felt supported by the registered manage and unit managers. The provider had systems in place for monitoring the quality of the service.

The last rating for this service was Good. insert date last report published (4 August 2017)

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Almond Care Providers Ltd on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.