Archived: West Midlands Branch

West Midlands Branch (Shaw Community Living (SLS) Limited is registered to provide personal care to people living with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder, mental health, physical disability, sensory impairment and younger adults in their own homes. At the time of our inspection 17 people were in receipt of care from the provider.

This service also provides care and support to people living in five ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live in their own home 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 care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.” Registering the Right Support CQC policy.

At the time of our inspection 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.

People who used the service and relatives told us they were very happy with the care they received and felt safe. Detailed risk assessments had been completed that ensured staff were aware of individual risks and how to reduce these, in order to protect people from harm.

People told us staff supported them to receive their medicines as prescribed and at the right times.

Staff had a good understanding of infection control and so will able to help people stay fit and well.

People told us they were supported by regular consistent staff. There was a robust system for recruitment in place that ensured staff were suitable for the role for which they were employed.

People and their relatives felt staff employed were well trained and had a good knowledge to help them deliver high quality care and support. People had developed good relationships with the staff who supported them. Staff cared for people with kindness, patience and understanding. Staff had time to meet people's needs and to spend time in conversations with people individually, without rushing. People were provided with care which was respectful, dignified and took into account people’s right to privacy and confidentiality.

Staff supported people to access Health and social care professionals when required to support and maintain their health and wellbeing.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff demonstrated their understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and its relation to protecting people who used the service from unlawful restrictions. Records confirmed consent was sought for a variety of decisions in relation to the care people received. This confirmed people who used the service or their relatives had been consulted about and agreed to the care they received.

People told us they were treated with dignity and respect by the staff who supported them. People who used the service and their relatives worked in partnership with staff to plan their care. Care records were personalised and contained detailed information about what was important to people. There was a stable staff team who knew and respected people as individuals and provided extremely responsive care which put people at the heart of all the care offered. Care plans detailed how people liked or disliked their care and support to be delivered. Care plans were reviewed at least monthly or when people’s circumstances changed.

People told us they were encouraged to maintain their independence and achieve their personal goals. People were encouraged to be active within the local community to enhance the quality of their lives.

People’s views were regularly sought so any improvements of the service provided could be identified. We saw extremely positive feedback about the service and the care people received. Any complaints received had been dealt with promptly and brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

All the people we spoke with were extremely complimentary about the leadership and management of the service. Audits, quality monitoring and feedback was obtained regularly that confirmed the quality of service being provided to people.

Shaw Support Service Ltd provides support for people living in their own supported living accommodation. There were 17 people receiving a service for which CQC registration was required at the time of the inspection.

A registered manager was in post at the time of our inspection. 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 who used this service were helped to stay safe as the provider, registered manager and support staff had a clear understanding of risks and how to manage them effectively. There were sufficient staff employed to meet the needs of the people they support, enabling them to enjoy activities of their choice. The provider had procedures in place to ensure people received their medicines as prescribed and to effectively and safely meet their health needs.

Staff had been recruited following appropriate checks on their suitability to support people in their own homes and the community. People felt the support staff knew them well and respected their preferences. Before supporting people staff asked people’s consent, but were aware of what procedures to follow if a person didn’t have the mental capacity to make all of their own decisions.

People were happy staff supported them to maintain their independence. Staff made sure people were able to make choices about the care and support they received.

People were assisted by staff to stay healthy and access health and social care services as required.

Staff understood the best ways to communicate with people, using a variety of communication aids.

Staff understood people’s assessed needs and responded appropriately when they changed. People’s interests and preferences were documented, staff encouraged people to pursue activities they enjoyed.

The provider actively sought people’s opinions about the quality of the service they received through satisfaction questionnaires and workshops.

Leadership of the service at all levels was open and transparent and supported a positive culture committed to supporting and enabling people with learning disabilities. Staff felt supported by senior management and involved in the development of the service.