Archived: NAS Community Services (Kent)

There was 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.

The service provides support to adults and young people with autism who live in their own homes in the community. At the time of this inspection, they were providing personal care and support to one person. The office is based in Gravesend and people were residing at a supported living service in Herne Bay.

We found staff understood their responsibilities to ensure people were safe. They knew how to report abuse if they suspected it was occurring and could identify types of abuse.

There were enough staff working for the service to meet people’s needs. There was an effective recruitment system in place to ensure only suitable staff were employed.

People’s care needs were assessed prior to them using the service. Care plans gave detailed information on what care and support people required. They also included risk assessments.

There were systems in place to safely manage and administer medicines to people. Staff had been trained in the safe administration of medicines.

People were cared for by staff who were trained and supported to meet their needs. The provider had a programme of training for all staff.

Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and supported people to make decisions and acted in their best interests when providing care. Consent was sought before care and support was carried out.

People could express their views and were involved in making decisions about their care. Care records contained information about people’s wishes, likes and dislikes, needs and preferences.

The registered manager worked well with other health professionals to ensure peoples’ needs were met. When requested, staff supported people at mealtimes to ensure they ate and drank enough.

Staff treated people with respect and dignity and encouraged them to be independent. They knew the people they cared for well.

People and their relatives were provided with information on how to make a complaint. People were happy with the way staff were looking after them.

The registered manager had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided. They carried out regular audits and were committed to provide a good quality service to people.

Staff felt the registered manager was approachable and supportive. They were given opportunities during staff meetings to share ideas and make suggestions about the service. Staff were clear about their role and responsibilities and who they were accountable to.

We were told by people using the service that they had felt involved in planning their support. They told us that they had agreed to the support plans developed with them and that these had been followed in practice. We found the service had been diligent in providing people with information that had enabled them to make informed decisions about consenting to the care and support provided.

We found that people using the service had experienced effective care and support which had met their needs and protected their rights. We found their health and welfare had been promoted by staff whose suitability had been ascertained through effective recruitment and selection procedures.

Safe, good quality care and support had been provided. We found the service had effective systems in place to monitor and assess the quality of care provided and to manage risks to the health, welfare and safety of people using the service and of staff. People using the service told us that they had, 'no complaints'. We found the service had suitable systems to deal with comments and complaints, including providing people using the service with information about that system.