Updated 28 March 2019
The inspection:
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team:
The inspection team consisted of one lead inspector and an assistant inspector.
Service and service type:
HF Trust Oxon Vale DCA provides support and care to people living in 17 ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. People required different levels of support, this might include having support just for the day and evening but not overnight, whilst other people required staff to be available 24 hours a day. 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 has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live a full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include, control, choice and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
The service had three managers registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection:
We gave the service 2 days’ notice of the inspection site visit because the three managers were often out of the office visiting the houses that they managed. We needed to be sure that they would be available.
Inspection site visit activity started on 21 February 2019 and ended on 25 February 2019. We visited the office on 21 February 2019 to meet the registered managers and to review care records and other documents relating to the running of the service. On 25 February 2019, we carried out visits to five supported living houses.
What we did:
Before the inspection we reviewed the information, we held about the service and the service provider. We looked at the notifications we had received for this service. Notifications are information about important events the service is required to send us by law. We requested and reviewed a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. 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.
During the visit we looked at seven people's support plans and the medicines and associated records for four people. We checked recruitment for four staff and general staff training and supervision records. We viewed a range of records about how the service was managed. We met the three registered managers and three support workers. We spoke with two people using the service and carried out observations on interactions between staff and people using the service.
After our site visit we received feedback, via email, from three relatives and two support workers.
We also emailed four people who use the service and three people replied with their views on the service. We also emailed five health and social care professionals but did not receive their feedback on this occasion.
Following on from the visit the registered managers also sent us additional evidence.