The inspection was carried out on 29 January 2016. The provider had been given 48 hours’ notice of the inspection to ensure the people concerned could be contacted in person. The service had last been inspected on 19June 2013 and had been found to be meeting all the assessed standards.
Crossroads Care West Berkshire is a domiciliary care service providing support to people with learning disabilities in the Newbury and Reading area. About 140 people were being supported by the agency on the date of the inspection.
The service had a manager who had been working in this position for four weeks. The manager was going through the registration process with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to become registered. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 and were well-supported by the agency. All staff received training in safeguarding adults. There were clear policies and procedures in place to support staff if any concerns were raised.
Risk assessments clearly identified risks and gave staff guidance on how to minimise those risks. The assessments were designed to keep people and staff safe whilst allowing people to develop and maintain their independence.
People who use the service and their relatives spoke highly of the service in terms of its organisation and management. People described staff supporting them as reliable. Moreover, staff rota was effectively organised to meet people's needs.
Where people needed assistance in taking their medicine, this was administered in a timely manner by staff who had been trained to carry out this role. If needed, staff liaised with healthcare professionals immediately to help monitor and maintain people’s health and well-being.
At our inspection we found that the provider was working within the principles of the MCA where it was necessary and appropriate to the needs of people they supported. The MCA (Mental Capacity Act 2005) provides a legal framework for making particular decisions on behalf of people who may lack the mental capacity to do so for themselves. The Act requires that as far as possible people make their own decisions and are helped to do so when needed. When they lack mental capacity to make particular decisions, any made on their behalf must be in their best interests and as least restrictive as possible.
Assessments were undertaken to identify people’s support needs and care plans were developed outlining how these needs were to be met. We found that care plans were detailed, which enabled staff to provide the individualised care people needed. People told us they were involved in developing their care plans. They were also consulted about the way their care was delivered to ensure their wishes and preferences were met. Staff worked with other healthcare professionals to obtain specialist advice about people’s care and treatment.
People received personalised care and support that met their needs and took account of their preferences. Staff were knowledgeable about people’s backgrounds, life histories, preferences and routines.
A complaints procedure was in place, enabling people to raise their concerns at any time. Each person was given a copy of the agency’s complaint procedures. People said they were confident that their concerns would be handled appropriately end efficiently.
Staff told us they enjoyed their work and were well-supported by the management through supervision, appraisals and training. The manager spoke highly of the staff team, describing them as “committed and enthusiastic in their approach to their work”.