DCA Thornton Gate

Updated 1 February 2024

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own flats.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

Inspection activity started on 10 January 2024 and ended on 16 January 2024. We visited the location’s office on 10 January 2024.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection including information from the public. We sought feedback from the local authority. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spent time with a person who used the service and carried out discreet observations of support provided. We reviewed one care record, four personnel records and a range of documentation relating to the running of the service. We spoke with a relative, three staff, the registered manager and the regional manager. We also spoke with a health professional who visited the service and a relative whose family member received personal care and support.

Updated 1 February 2024

DCA Thorton Gate is a domiciliary care agency. It provides support with personal care to younger adults who may be living with a sensory impairment, learning disability and/or mental health challenges. At the time of the inspection there were 8 people living in private flats. 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. The office is situated within the same building as the flats. The service is staffed on a 24 hour basis with sleep in facilities for staff.

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

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 guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

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

Right Support: 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. Staff enabled effective communication that met individual needs, and supported people to live independent and individual lives that met their preferences and aspirations. Staff supported relationships that were important to an individual, and staff support was available to meet interests and past times. Medicines were managed safely.

Right Care: Staff were kind and compassionate and had completed relevant training to enable them to maintain their skills. Staff knew individual care and support needs and delivered care to meet those needs. This included ensuring other professionals were involved in care and support decisions when this was required. Staff understood their obligation to prevent incidents of avoidable harm and poor care and abuse, and were aware of reporting procedures available to them if these were needed.

Right Culture: Staff supported an individual to live an inclusive lives and promoted their strengths and wishes. Staff were aware of individual human rights and sought to protect these. Staff had access and understood best practice guidance regarding the support of people with learning disabilities and sensory challenges. The management team and staff encouraged an open and transparent culture in which people were respected and valued. The provider had a formal and informal range of systems to monitor the quality of the service and drive improvements.

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 the service under the previous provider was good published on 13 June 2018.

Why we inspected

This inspection was carried out as the service had not previously been inspected since the new provider had been responsible for providing the regulated activity.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection under the previous provider, by selecting the ‘All inspection reports and timeline’ link for RNID Action on Hearing Loss Thornton Gate on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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