Step by Step Supporting Independence Ltd

Updated 19 December 2019

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

This inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector. An expert by experience carried out telephone calls following the inspection to gain relatives’ views of the service. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency and provides care and support to people living in a number of supported living settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. Care Quality Commission (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 CQC. 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 registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from external health professionals. The provider had completed 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. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke and spent time with five people in their own homes, with their consent, who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, and five care workers. We spoke with two relatives of people using the service over the telephone. We reviewed a range of records. This included three people's care records and three care staff members’ records. We looked at records in relation to training and staff supervision and a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.

Updated 19 December 2019

About the service

Step by Step Supporting Independence Ltd provides support to people with learning disabilities. The support is provided to people who live as tenants under a supported living scheme. At the time of our inspection the service provided support to 31 people living in their own homes. 21 people who used the service received 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.

Step by Step Supporting Independence Ltd provides other services which help people to live independently, such as assistance with shopping and enabling people to undertake activities in the community. There is a log cabin facility in the grounds of its offices where staff support people with planned activities. People can also socialise with other people and staff in this area. For example, one person had recently enjoyed a big birthday party held in the log cabin.

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

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.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

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

Staff received safeguarding training so they knew how to recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse and how to report any concerns of abuse. Risk management plans were in place to protect and promote people's safety. Staffing arrangements were suitable to keep people safe. Staff recruitment practices ensured staff were suitable to work with people. Staff followed infection control procedures to reduce the risks of spreading infection or illness.

The provider understood their responsibility to comply with the Accessible Information Standard (AIS), which came into force in August 2016.

Staff received induction training when they first started work at the service. On-going refresher training ensured staff were able to provide care and support for people following current practice.

Where the provider took on the responsibility, staff supported people to eat and drink sufficient amounts to maintain a varied and balanced diet. Staff supported people to access health appointments when required, including opticians and doctors, to make sure they received continuing healthcare to meet their needs.

People had their diverse needs assessed, they had positive relationships with staff and received care in line best practice meeting people's personal preferences. Staff consistently provided people with respectful and compassionate care.

The service had a positive ethos and an open culture. The registered managers were visible role models in the service. People, their relatives and other professionals told us that they had confidence in the managers’ abilities to provide consistently good quality managerial oversight and leadership.

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 this service was Good (published March 2017). At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good, and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.