Background to this inspection
Updated
11 February 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
This inspection was undertaken by one inspector.
Service and service type
Consensus Community Support Limited - Redan Street 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 meant they were legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was announced.
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or a member of their management team would be in the office to support the inspection.
Inspection site visit activity started on 26 November 2019 when we visited the office and two of the supported living environments and ended on 12 December 2019 when we gave feedback.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority who work with the service. 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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We met with four people who used the service and watched a video one person had especially prepared for us about their experience of using the service. Some people could not always readily tell us about their experiences. We observed the way people interacted with the management team and staff.
We spoke with the registered manager, two managers from two of the supported living environments, one senior support worker, four support workers and a support worker from another agency that worked with the service.
We received electronic feedback from eight relatives about their experience of the service provided, 12 members of staff and eight professionals involved with the service.
We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We also looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.
Updated
11 February 2020
About the service
Consensus Community Support Limited -Redan Street is a domiciliary care service which is registered to provide people with personal care. The service has four ‘supported living’ environments that operate in Suffolk and Essex, providing personal care to people who have a learning disability and may have complex needs. Staff support is available up to 24 hours per day. At the time of the inspection there were 19 people who used the service.
Not everyone 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.
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
A positive and empowering culture had been firmly established within the service. This meant people were supported by exceptionally caring and attentive staff that knew them well and helped them to achieve their potential. Care was inclusive, bespoke to the individual and delivered by committed and dedicated staff. People’s rights to independence, dignity privacy was consistently promoted, and their choices encouraged and respected.
The leadership of the service was outstanding. Robust quality assurance systems had sustained continual development and improvement throughout the service resulting in positive outcomes for people. The registered manager, supported by their senior management team, had established a person- centered culture amongst the staff team, that consistently delivered high quality care.
Staff and the management team were passionate and motivated about their roles and understood their responsibilities. They actively engaged and included people, their relatives and professionals in the ongoing design and delivery of their care and support. Without exception feedback about the service was complimentary about the caring, attentive nature and approach of the staff and management team. It was evident that feedback was valued and used to further enhance people’s experience of using the service.
Staff were skilled in communicating and understanding the needs of the people they supported. There continued to be enough staff safely recruited, trained and supported appropriately in their roles to care and meet people’s needs.
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.
Risks to people were assessed and mitigated, which reduced the likelihood of harm. Staff were knowledgeable about people’s risks and how to care for them safely. They understood how to protect and safeguard people and demonstrated a transparent attitude to reporting concerns.
Where people required support with their dietary needs, health and their medicines, this was done safely and effectively. Infection control processes protected people from the risks of cross infection.
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.
Since our last inspection, the service has grown from strength to strength. Clear leadership and effective management had led to a visibly person-centered culture that was embedded throughout the service. This consistently delivered high quality care and support achieving positive outcomes for people. This was underpinned by the provider’s principles, values and expectations of staff which demonstrate the characteristics of an outstanding service.
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 27 June 2016)
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.