Archived: HF Trust - Devon DCA

Updated 24 January 2020

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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in ‘supported living’ settings so that they can live 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.

There was no registered manager in post at the time of this inspection. The registered manager had left a few months before this inspection. There were two acting managers in post who shared responsibility for the management of the service supported by the regional manager. The provider was in the process of recruiting a new registered manager. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how services are run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. We also gave notice of the inspection because people were often out, and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

We visited the office on 13 December 2019 and on 19 December 2019 we visited two shared houses where we met five people who used the service and three support workers.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We met five people who used the service. We also met the regional manager, two acting managers, three members of the office staff team, and three support workers.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We received e mails from two support workers.

Updated 24 January 2020

About the service

HF Trust – Devon DCA is a supported living service providing personal care to 28 people at the time of the inspection. HF Trust – Devon DCA is part of a larger national provider for people with learning disabilities (HF Trust) and is registered to provide personal care to people living in the community.

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 as 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. People lived in shared houses and bungalows in residential areas in south Devon.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were safe. Care had been taken to recruit the right staff, and to make sure there were enough staff available when people needed support. In the last year the number of permanently employed staff had increased and the use of agency staff to cover vacant shifts had significantly decreased. This had resulted in people being supported by staff they knew well, and staff they liked and trusted. New staff had received good training and support at the start of their employment. Staff received ongoing training and regular updates on topics relevant to the needs of the people they supported.

Since the last inspection the support plans had been improved. Risk assessments were carried out on all anticipated risks. Support plans gave clear instructions to staff on all aspects of the support people wanted. People had been involved and consulted in drawing up and reviewing their support plans. They were offered a copy of their support plan in a format they could understand, for example, some people had a support plan containing photographs and pictures. People were supported to hold and manage their medicines safely.

People led healthy lives. Staff understood each person’s health needs and supported people to obtain medical treatment promptly when needed, attend appointments and receive regular check-ups and treatment. People were able to choose the meals they wanted to eat and supported to plan menus, shop for ingredients, and prepare their own meals as far as they were able.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were supported by staff who were cheerful, positive and caring. People who were able to express their views verbally told us they were very happy with the support they received from the staff. One person told us, “They are all very friendly. They are all very supportive to us.” Another person gave us the ‘thumbs up’ sign when we asked them if they liked the staff. Staff were passionate about giving people the right support to help them gain independence and to lead fulfilling and happy lives. People lead active lives, doing things they enjoyed, for example attending clubs, going on outings and holidays, and participating in activities such as swimming, arts and crafts.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence. The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

People were involved and consulted in all areas of the service. They were supported to raise ideas, voice concerns, and make complaints. Their views were sought in various ways including questionnaires, house meetings and through local and national forums. The provider listened and took action on their comments and ideas.

The service was well-led. At the time of this inspection there was no registered manager in post. Two senior members of staff were jointly sharing the role of acting manager while the provider was in the process of recruiting and appointing a new registered manager. The regional manager was based in the local area and was actively involved in the management of the service. Staff told us the service had continued to be well-led under the two acting managers. Comments included, “Communication has been brilliant between staff and managers” and “Improvements in the last year have been exciting. It no longer feels as if we are 'fire-fighting'. Staff morale is much better, staff are much happier. We are all working towards the same goals now.” The provider had systems in place to monitor the service and make improvements where needed.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 29 June 2017)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.