Next Steps Hertfordshire

Updated 4 May 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. At our previous inspection on 29 September 2015 the service was found to be meeting the required standards.

This visit took place on 28 June, 03 July and 17 July 2017 and was carried out by one inspector. The visit was announced to ensure that relevant people were available to assist us with the inspection. Before our inspection we reviewed information we held about the service including statutory notifications that had been submitted. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us. We also reviewed the provider information return (PIR) submitted to us. This is information that the provider is required to send to us, which gives us some key information about the service and tells us what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection we observed how staff supported people who used the service, and met with the provider and the registered manager. We talked with nine people who used the service, visited one person in their home, spoke with six care staff and three relatives. We also looked at care records relating to three people, and reviewed records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 4 May 2018

We carried out this inspection on 29 June, 03 and 17 July 2017. We gave the service 48 hours' notice of our inspection to ensure that someone would be present in the office, and we were able to speak with staff and people using the service.

Next Steps Hertfordshire is registered to provide personal care to people living in their own home. The service specialised in providing flexible home support across a 24 hour period to people with learning disabilities living in their own homes. The service specialised in supporting adults who had lived in large institutions for a long period of their life or had several failed placements prior being supported by Next Steps Hertfordshire. At the time of the inspection 15 people were using the service. At our previous inspection on 29 September 2015 the service was rated as good.

There was a registered manager in post. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People received care and support that met their needs while encouraging their independence. Risk assessments were in place for all aspects of people's lives and these helped to ensure that people's choices were not restricted. Positive risk taking underpinned the approach to risk management within the service in order to support people to live fulfilling lives. People felt safe and staff knew how to respond to any concerns that may affect people's wellbeing. People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff who had been recruited through a robust process that matched staff to people’s individual needs. People's medicines were managed safely and where possible people were encouraged to manage their own medicines.

Staff received a robust individualised induction and on-going training tailored to the needs of the person they worked with. This helped to ensure they had the appropriate skills for their role and further development opportunities were made available. People only received care once they had provided their consent and for those people unable to provide this, staff followed the appropriate procedures to ensure the care delivered was in people`s best interest. People were provided with a good variety of nutritious meals and staff ensured people had access to health and social care professionals as needed, and when they requested them.

People were at the centre of the service, which was organised to suit their individual needs and aspirations. People’s achievements were celebrated and their views were sought and acted on. People were supported by staff that were passionate and consistently treated them with dignity and respect. Without exception, people who used the service and their relatives we talked to were very complimentary and positive about the staff that supported them.

People were able to pursue their individual interests as well as engage in meaningful activities both within the home and in the local community. People participated in a range of personal development programmes that were designed to provide new experiences for people to develop new skills. People who used the service accessed a range of community facilities and completed activities within the service. People knew how to make a complaint, and where complaints were raised these were responded to promptly.

People were very positive about the management of the service and the views of people were sought in relation to the quality of care provided. The registered manager was a role model to both staff and people alike. There was an extremely positive culture within the service with clear visions, values and enthusiasm about how the registered manager and provider wished the service to be provided and these values were shared with the whole staff team. A robust system of auditing, monitoring, reviewing and improving the quality of service was in place, and the registered manager clearly led a service that promoted a positive and open culture.