Background to this inspection
Updated
2 April 2022
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
The inspection was completed by an inspector.
Service and service type
This service provides care and support to people living in a supported living setting, 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.
This service is also a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.
The service had a manager 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 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we wanted to make sure someone would be available to support us with the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make.
During the inspection
We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records, three staff files, training records, staff supervision records and satisfaction surveys. We also looked at audits and a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures. We spoke with the registered manager and one member of staff.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We spoke with one person who used the service and one relative to obtain their views of the service. We also contacted two members of staff to ask them questions about their roles and to confirm information we had received about them during our inspection. We received limited feedback from people who used the service due to their communication needs.
Updated
2 April 2022
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
About the service
44 MacDonald Avenue Dagenham Essex RM10 7DJ is a supported living service which is registered to provide personal care. The service can support up to three people. At the time of the inspection, they were supporting one person, who was receiving personal care. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.
The service also provides domiciliary care to people in their own homes. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of this inspection there was one person using the domiciliary service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Right Support
The supported living service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. This enabled people who used the service to live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes.
There was a positive relationship between people and the staff who supported them. People were treated with respect and their independence, privacy and dignity were protected and promoted. They were supported to be involved in their care planning and making decisions about their care in a way that suited their needs. Care was provided with kindness and compassion. Confidentiality of people’s personal information was maintained.
Right Care
Before people started using the service, an initial assessment of their needs was undertaken. Care plans provided detailed information about each person’s care and support needs. People were supported to take part in activities within the service and in the community. They maintained relationships with friends and relatives.
The provider had safeguarding policies and procedures in relation to safeguarding people. Staff understood what abuse was and the actions to take if a person using the service was being abused. There was guidance for staff on how to manage risks to people and how to keep them safe. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs and recruitment processes were safe. People were protected from the risks associated with the spread of infection.
Staff received appropriate training and professional development to effectively meet people’s needs. 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. Where people did not have the capacity to consent, the staff acted in accordance with legal requirements. People were supported to maintain good health.
Right culture
People and their relatives felt the service was well managed and staff felt supported. There was an effective quality monitoring system to check that the care met people’s needs. Regular audits took place and any issue identified was acted on to ensure the service was managed well. The provider worked with a number of health and social care professionals to ensure people’s needs were met.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 3 December 2019 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection because the service had not been previously rated.
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.