One to One Support Services

Updated 13 December 2018

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 comprehensive inspection took place at the provider’s office base on 31 October 2018 and was announced. We gave the provider three days’ notice as we needed to arrange to meet with staff at the provider’s office. Prior to the office visit we contacted people on the 29 and 30 October to get their views on the quality of the service provided. The inspection was carried out by 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. The expert-by-experience did not attend the office of the service. They spoke by telephone with people and relatives of people who used the service.

We checked the information we held about the service and the provider. This included notifications the provider had sent to us about significant events at the service and information we had received from the public. The provider had completed a 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 also contacted the two main local authorities who commission services from the provider and they provided us with feedback. We used all of this information to formulate our inspection plan.

We spoke with five people that used the service and 13 people’s relatives. We also spoke with the registered manager, one service manager, one senior support worker and four support workers.

We looked at five people’s care records to check that the care they received matched the information in their records. We reviewed two staff files to see how staff were recruited. We looked at the systems the provider had in place to ensure the quality of the service was continuously monitored and reviewed to drive improvement.

Updated 13 December 2018

We inspected this service on 31 October 2018. This inspection was announced. This meant the provider and staff knew we would be visiting the service’s office before we arrived.

At our previous inspection on the 25, 26, 27, 28 September and 2 and 6 October 2017 the provider was not meeting the regulations that we checked and was in breach of the following regulations. Regulation 17 and 18 of the Health and Social Care Act (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 and Regulation 18 of the Care Quality Commission (Registration) Regulations 2009. This was because complete and accurate records were not always in place regarding people’s care. Sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff were not always available and the provider had not always notified us of significant events as required by law. At this inspection we found the required action was taken by the provider. Related care and service improvements were made to the standard of ‘Good.’

One to One Support Services is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes in and around the Chesterfield area of Derbyshire and parts of Sheffield. The service supports older persons, younger persons and children and families. This includes people with learning and physical disabilities, mental health needs and people with multi-sensory impairments. Not everyone using One to One Support Services received a regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection 76 people were in receipt of personal care support.

The service had 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.

Sufficient staff were on duty to meet people's needs and were recruited through safe recruitment practices. People were supported by staff who understood what constituted abuse, poor or unsafe practice and their role in reporting related concerns. Medicines were managed safely and people were supported to take their medicine when needed. People were protected against the risk of infection. Themes and trends in relation to accidents and incidents were reviewed; to enable the provider to act when needed to reduce these risks.

People received support from trained staff who were provided with supervision by the management team to monitor their conduct and support their professional development. When needed, people were supported to maintain their dietary requirements and preferences and to access healthcare services.

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. Where people needed support to make specific decisions, their capacity had been assessed. Information was provided to staff to enable people to be supported in their best interests when needed. Risks to people’s safety were managed to reduce potential hazards and people’s care plans reflected their related needs and preferences.

People told us they liked the staff and confirmed they were treated with respect and that their privacy and dignity was upheld. The provider sought the opinions of people and their representatives to bring about improvements. People knew how to complain and we saw when complaints were made these were addressed. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and drive improvement. The provider understood their responsibilities around registration with us. We saw our latest rating of the service was displayed at the office base and on the provider’s website, as required.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.