Background to this inspection
Updated
10 December 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 took place on 10 November 2016 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in.
The inspection team consisted of 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.
We reviewed the 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 looked at information received from local authority commissioners. Commissioners are people who work to find appropriate care and support services for people and fund the care provided.
We reviewed the provider’s statement of purpose and the notifications we had been sent. A statement of purpose is a document which includes a standard required set of information about a service. Notifications are changes, events or incidents that providers must tell us about.
We spoke with four people using the service and two relatives. We also spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager, and three support workers.
We looked at records relating to all aspects of the service including care, staffing, and quality assurance. We also looked at four people’s care records.
Updated
10 December 2016
This was an announced inspection that took place on 10 November 2016.
Dimensions Leicester Domiciliary Care Office provides personal care and supported living services to people with learning disabilities their own homes. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting 20 people, 10 of whom were receiving personal care.
The service has a registered manager. This 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 told us they were pleased with the service they received. They said the registered manager and staff listened to them, wanted to hear their views, and kept them informed about the service. Relatives said the registered manager and staff were approachable and they were kept up-to-date with their family member’s progress and any changes or developments at the service.
The service provided safe care. Staff were trained in safeguarding (protecting people from abuse) and knew how to keep people safe. They worked in conjunction with the police and health and social care professionals and to support and educate people to stay safe in the community and in their own homes.
People helped to choose the staff who supported them and the service used a ‘matching tool’ to help allocate the right staff to the right people. Staff had specialised training as needed, for example, dementia care for people with learning disabilities, autism awareness, and positive behaviour support.
Staff took a flexible and responsive approach to the people they worked with. They provided them with the care and support them wanted and encouraged them to maintain links with their families and friends, lead fulfilling lives, and take part in activities. They treated people with dignity and respected their privacy.
Staff checked to see if people were having enough to eat and drink and that their healthcare needs were being met. Where necessary they referred people to healthcare professionals to help ensure their needs were met. Staff supported people to take their medicines safely and in the way they wanted them.
The provider and registered manager carried out audits of all aspects of the service to ensure it was well-led. People’s and relative’s views were central to this process.