Archived: NAS Outreach Services (Lancashire)

Updated 29 June 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 checked 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 took place on 27 and 28 April 2016. We contacted the service the day before the visit to let them know we were planning to inspect the service. We did this because they provide a domiciliary care and support service and we needed to be sure that someone would be available at the service’s office. The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a PIR (Provider Information Return). 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 also reviewed information we held about the service, including statutory notifications. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. In addition, we reviewed the information we held, including complaints, safeguarding information and previous inspection reports. We contacted the local authority contract monitoring team who provided us with any relevant information they held about the service.

We used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people who used the service. People using the service could not readily tell us about their experiences; we therefore spoke by telephone with two relatives of people who used the service. During the inspection we also talked with four members of staff and the registered manager.

We spent time looking at a range of records during our time spent in the service’s office, this included three people’s care plans and other associated documentation, three staff recruitment files, a sample of policies and procedures, training records and quality assurance records.

Updated 29 June 2016

We carried out an inspection of NAS Outreach Services (Lancashire) on the 27 and 28 April 2016. The service is registered to provide personal care and support to adults and children aged 13 to 18 with autism and Asperger syndrome.

The aim of the service is to provide innovative and flexible support for people who want to develop their social skills, independent living skills, build confidence and take part in activities in their community. The service is available on a flexible basis, in response to people’s individually agreed support package. At the time of the inspection the service was providing personal care and support for five people as part of the regulated activity.

This was the provider’s first inspection following registration. We found the service was meeting the current regulations, however, we made one recommendation about making care plans more accessible to staff so that they can refer to them for guidance.

The service was managed by a registered manager. 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’s relatives and staff spoken with had confidence in the registered manager and the leadership arrangements at the service.

The relatives we spoke with indicated they were satisfied with the service. Their comments included, “They are effective in how they provide support. It has been very successful” and “I think it is a good service they have been very obliging around flexibility.”

Relatives also made positive comments about the staff team including their attitude and their professionalism. Staff spoken with understood their role in providing people with person centred care and support.

Arrangements were in place to gather information on people’s backgrounds, their needs, abilities, preferences and routines before they used the service.

Each person had a support plan in place to direct staff on responding to their assessed needs and choices. We have made a recommendation

There was a focus upon promoting people’s confidence, independence and developing their skills. Staff expressed a practical awareness of promoting people’s dignity, rights and choices.

At the time of the inspection none of the people received support with medicines. People’s general health and wellbeing was monitored. Healthy eating was encouraged.

Character checks had been carried out before new staff started working at the service. Arrangements were in place to maintain appropriate staffing levels to make sure people received their agreed support, when they needed it, from people they were familiar with.

Staff spoken with were aware of the signs and indicators of abuse and they knew what to do if they had any concerns. Staff said they had received training on safeguarding and protection matters. They had also received training on positively responding to people’s behaviours.

There were systems in place to ensure all staff received regular training and supervision. This included specific training on autism and Asperger syndrome. We found some basic training was overdue but action had been taken to address this matter.

We found the service was working within the principles of the MCA (Mental Capacity Act 2005).

There were satisfactory processes in place to support people with any concerns or complaints. There was a formal system to manage, investigate and respond to people’s complaints and concerns.