Archived: Next Stage 'A Way Forward' - Warrington

About the service

A Next Stage ‘A Way Forward’ - Warrington is a domiciliary care agency, supported living service and offers ‘extra care’ housing provision to younger and older adults. The service provides personal care to people living with addiction issues, physical disabilities, sensory impairments, mental health support needs and learning disabilities and/or autistic spectrum disorders. Personal care was provided either in the community (across the borough of Warrington), in one residential shared property or across two adapted buildings, each offering single occupancy accommodation.

At the time of the inspection 39 people were receiving personal care across the different services. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. ‘Personal Care’ is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.

People’s experience of using this service

Right support

The model of care and settings help to maximise choice, control and independence. People are empowered to remain independent and are involved in the provision of care they receive.

Right Care

People's dignity, privacy and human rights were respected and supported. People received personalised care that was tailored around their likes, wishes and preferences.

Right Culture

The ethos, values and attitudes of leaders and care staff helped to ensure people were encouraged to live confident, inclusive and empowered lives.

Quality assurance and governance measures were in the process of being improved by the manager. We were not always assured that current quality performance or risk management measures were always monitoring or managing quality and safety of care.

Risk assessment and review processes needed to be strengthened. We identified that additional oversight and assurance measures need to be implemented as a way of ensuring that all areas of risk were appropriately recorded and monitored. We have made a recommendation regarding this.

Covid-19 had impacted staffing levels; the provider acknowledged that increased staffing levels were required. The manager and local authority were actively discussing staffing levels and deployment of staff. Recruitment was on-going; measures and procedures to recruit staff safely were in place.

Infection prevention and control (IPC) arrangements were in place. Staff were provided with the relevant personal protective equipment (PPE) and were engaged in routine weekly COVID-19 testing regimes.

Safe medication administration procedures were in place. Staff received the necessary medication administration training, regularly had their competency levels checked and a greater level of compliance oversight had been introduced.

Safeguarding reporting and investigation procedures were in place. Staff knew how to escalate their concerns, knew who to contact and expressed the importance of keeping people safe.

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.

Care records contained person-centred information, positive relationships developed and people expressed that staff provided care and support that was centred around them and their wishes.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

This service was registered with us on 21 January 2021 and this is the first inspection at this registered location. The last rating for the service (at the previous registered location) was ‘good’ (published 18 May 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.