Background to this inspection
Updated
9 November 2016
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This inspection visit took place on 21 October 2016 and was announced. The provider was given four days’ notice because the location provides a supported living and domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be available at the office. We also needed to arrange to speak on the telephone to people as part of this inspection and to speak with other people on the day of our visit. The inspection visit was carried out by one inspector and an expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The expert by experience did not attend the office base of the service or visit people at home, but spoke by telephone with people and the relative of a person who used the service.
We checked the information we held about the service and the provider. This included notifications the provider had sent to us about significant events at the service and information we had received from the public. We also spoke with the local authority that provided us with current monitoring information. The provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all of this to formulate our inspection plan.
We spoke with 10 people who used the service, one relative and four members of care staff. We also spoke with the service administrator, the registered manager and the two assistant locality managers that supported the registered manager. We did this to gain people's views about the care and to check that standards of care were being met.
We looked at the care records for three people. We checked that the care they received matched the information in their records. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service, including quality checks and staff files.
Updated
9 November 2016
We inspected this service on 21 October 2016. This inspection was announced. This meant the provider and staff knew we would be visiting the service’s office before we arrived. This was the first inspection since the provider’s registration on the 13 March 2014. This service supports adults with a learning disability to live in the community. Some of the accommodation was within a supported living setting, other support was provided to people living with their family or alone. There were 14 people in receipt of personal care at the time of this inspection visit.
The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People were protected from the risk of harm because identified risks were managed safely. The provider had completed safe recruitment practices. The staff understood what constituted abuse or poor practice and people were supported to take their medicines as needed. People were supported by staff that received the training and support they needed to develop their skills. Staff felt listened to and were happy to raise concerns.
People were supported by a consistent staff team that knew them well and promoted their independence People were supported to make their own decisions because staff understood people’s preferred communication method. When people were unable to consent they were supported in their best interest.
The delivery of care was tailored to meet people’s individual needs and preferences. People’s needs were assessed and support plans where developed with them so that they could be supported in their preferred way. People were supported to maintain a diet that met their dietary requirements and preferences and were supported to use healthcare services. People were enabled to develop and maintain hobbies, interests and employment within the local community to promote equality and integration.
People knew how to complain and information was provided to them in an accessible format to support their understanding. There were processes in place for people to express their views and opinions about the service provided and to raise any concerns they had. Quality monitoring checks were completed by the provider and when needed action was taken to make improvements. The provider sought the opinions from people who used the service to bring about change. People knew who the registered manager was and they understood their responsibilities around registration with us. Staff felt listed to and were happy to raise concerns.