Background to this inspection
Updated
30 June 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 inspection took place on 9 May 2018 and was unannounced.
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection visit because it is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or providing care. We needed to be sure that they would be in.
Before our inspection, we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included correspondence we had received and notifications submitted by the service. A notification must be sent to the Care Quality Commission every time a significant incident has taken place. For example, where a person who uses the service experiences a serious injury.
We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
Before our inspection, we contacted staff at Sheffield Local Authority and Sheffield Healthwatch and they had no concerns recorded. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.
All comments and feedback received were reviewed and used to inform our inspection.
During our inspection, we spoke with three people who were receiving support to obtain their views about the service. We spoke with the registered manager, two line managers, the administrator, one senior provider service worker and two care workers.
We reviewed a range of records, which included three people's care records, three staff support and employment records and reviewed records relating to the management of medicines, complaints, training and how the registered manager monitored the quality of the service.
Updated
30 June 2018
This inspection took place on 9 May 2018 and was announced. This means we gave the registered provider 48 hours’ notice of our inspection to make sure the registered manager, some staff and some people receiving support would be available to meet and speak with us.
Sheffield City Council Learning Disability Domiciliary Care 136 Warminster Road is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care and support to eleven people 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 service was registered on 5 April 2017.This is the service’s first inspection.
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.
The registered manager was present during 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 told us they felt safe using the service. Procedures were in place, which helped to ensure people were supported by care workers who understood the importance of protecting them from avoidable harm and abuse. Care workers had received training on how to identify abuse and report any concerns to the appropriate authorities.
At the time of the inspection, there were sufficient numbers of care workers employed, all with appropriate skills and knowledge to meet people's individual needs. The registered provider had a robust recruitment process that ensured only care workers deemed suitable to work with vulnerable people had been employed.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and care workers supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The service’s policies and procedures supported this practice.
Where people received support with their medicines, systems and processes were in place that ensured this was managed and administered safely and in a timely manner. Accurate records were maintained and reviewed.
People were supported to access healthcare professionals where this was required. Care workers had a good understanding of people's needs and were kind and caring. They understood the importance of respecting people's dignity and upholding their right to privacy.
People were supported to undertake activities of their choosing and to access the local and wider community.
Information was seen to be in easy read formats, for example, complaints and compliments, safeguarding policies and a who’s who record of staff employed in the service.
Systems and processes were in place to encourage, manage and investigate concerns or complaints.
People who used the service, and those who had an interest in their welfare and wellbeing, were asked for their views about how the service was run.
Regular audits were carried out to ensure the service was safe and well run.
We received positive feedback from the staff we spoke with about the registered manager and the management team who were said to be approachable and supportive.
Staff said they thought the Learning Disability Domiciliary Care Service at 136 Warminster road was a supportive organisation with clear values.