Savile Court is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people with learning disabilities living in their own apartments. When we inspected on 30 October 2015, there were sixpeople using the service at three of the provider’s housing schemes. This was an announced inspection. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the service is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that someone would be available.
A registered manager was 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 we spoke with including their relatives were complimentary about the care provided. They told us they received safe and effective care by support workers who were attentive and kind.
Systems were in place which safeguarded the people who used the service from the potential risk of abuse. Support workers understood the various types of abuse and knew who to report any concerns to. They understood their roles and responsibilities in keeping people safe and actions were taken when they were concerned about people’s safety.
There were procedures and processes in place to ensure the safety of the people who used the service. These included risk assessments which identified how the risks to people were minimised.
Where people required assistance to take their medicines there were arrangements in place to provide this support safely.
There were sufficient numbers of support workers who had been recruited safely and who had the skills and knowledge to provide care and support to people in the way they preferred. People were treated with kindness by the support workers. We observed support workers respect people’s privacy and dignity and interacted with them in a caring and compassionate manner.
People or their representatives, where appropriate, were involved in making decisions about their care and support. People received care and support which was planned and delivered to meet their specific needs.
Where people required assistance with their dietary needs there were systems in place to provide this support safely. Where support workers had identified concerns in people’s wellbeing there were systems in place to contact health and social care professionals to make sure they received appropriate care and treatment.
People received care that was personalised to them and met their needs and wishes. Support workers listened to people and acted on what they said.
There was an open and transparent culture in the service. All the staff we spoke with were passionate about their work and understood their roles and responsibilities in providing safe and good quality care to the people who used the service. The manager demonstrated good leadership skills and support workers said they felt valued and supported.
There was a complaints procedure in place and people knew how to voice their concerns if they were unhappy with the care they received. People’s feedback was valued and acted on. The service had a quality assurance system with identified shortfalls addressed promptly; this helped the service to continually improve.