Archived: Chandon

Updated 10 August 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 checked whether the provider was 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.

The inspection visit took place on 10 July 2018 and was unannounced. This was a comprehensive inspection and was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection, we looked at all the information we held about the provider. This included notifications of significant events and safeguarding alerts. Notifications are for certain changes, events and incidents affecting the service or the people who use it that providers are required to notify us about. We also looked at the provider's own website and other public information about the service available on the internet.

During the inspection visit we met all four people who used the service, the registered manager, two support workers and a visiting therapist. We observed how people were being cared for and supported. We looked at records used by the provider for managing the service, which included the care records for two people, the recruitment, training and support records for three members of staff, records of quality monitoring and checks on the service, meeting minutes and examples of policies and procedures. The registered manager showed us photographs of people taking part in different tasks and activities. We looked at how medicines were being managed.

Following the inspection visit we spoke with the relatives of two people who lived at the service and the advocates of three people.

Updated 10 August 2018

This was a comprehensive inspection which took place on 10 July 2018 and was unannounced.

At the last inspection of 10 December 2015, we rated the service good in all key questions and overall. At this inspection, we found the service remains good.

The service provides care and support to people living in a 'supported living' setting, 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 is for four adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities, communication difficulties and complex healthcare needs. They live together in a bungalow and receive support from staff 24 hours a day. The service is provided by Care Management Group Limited, a national provider of care services. At the time of our inspection, four people were using the service.

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 people using the service could not tell us about their experiences but all of their representatives told us that people were happy. They said that they were relaxed, comfortable and well cared for. People had good relationships with kind and caring staff. People were given support to stay healthy and the staff worked closely with external healthcare professionals to make sure people accessed the right care and treatment. People's nutritional needs were met.

The staff found ways to empower people. They got to know them well and understood how people expressed their choices. They always offered them choices and involved them in the daily activities of the service, such as shopping and cooking; as well as supporting them to take part in a wide range of leisure activities.

The staff were happy working at the service. They felt supported and praised the registered manager and the way the service was run. They told us they had a range of training which enabled them to carry out their roles and helped them to understand about people's needs. The staff spoke about the ''family'' atmosphere at the service; and consistently demonstrated their dedication and care for the people there, both through how they spoke about people and how they interacted with them.

People were safely cared for. They had the right equipment to meet their needs. Risks to their safety had been assessed and planned for. Where restrictions were in place, the provider had assessed the least restrictive practices and had made decisions in people's best interests along with their representatives. There were procedures for making complaints, reporting abuse and dealing with accidents and incidents. The staff and people's representatives were aware of these and felt confident that action would be taken to put things right if something went wrong.

There were effective systems to monitor the quality of the service and to make improvements. The provider and staff at the service carried out regular audits. These included action plans where improvements were needed. There were enough staff to care for people safely, although there were a number of staff vacancies which the provider was trying to recruit to. The recruitment procedures ensured that only suitable staff were employed. They were given an induction into the service and opportunities to get to know the people who they were caring for. The registered manager and staff worked with other agencies and managers within their organisation to develop best practice for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities.