Archived: Lancaster Branch Office

Updated 28 May 2015

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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.

This inspection visit took place on 21st and 22nd April 2015 and was announced. The provider was given 24 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service supporting younger adults in supported living accommodation. The people the service support are often out during the day; we needed to be sure that someone would be in.

The inspection team consisted of two adult social care inspectors.

Before our inspection on 21st and 22nd April 2015 we reviewed the information we held on the service. This included notifications we had received from the provider, about incidents that affect the health, safety and welfare of people the service supported. We also checked to see if any information concerning the care and welfare of people being supported had been received.

During our inspection we went to the Lancaster Branch Office and spoke with a range of people about the service. They included the registered manager and ten staff members. We also visited three houses where people were being supported by the service and spoke with seven people. Although most of the people had limited communication they were able to tell us they were happy and felt safe. One person was able to give us feedback about their experience of the service and the support they were receiving. We observed how people interacted with the staff who supported them during our visits to their homes

We looked at the care records of seven people, training and recruitment records of two staff members, the duty rota for three supported living houses, training matrix, records relating to the management of the service and the medication records of seven people. We also spoke with the commissioning department at the local authority. This helped us to gain a balanced overview of what people experienced accessing the service.

Updated 28 May 2015

This inspection visit took place on 21st and 22nd April 2015 and was announced.

This is the services first inspection since it registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in December 2013.

Alternative Futures Group (Lancaster Branch Office) support people with complex needs which include learning, physical and sensory disabilities, mental health needs and dementia. The service aims to equip people with the essential skills needed to stay living independently in their home of choice for as long as possible and lead a full and active life. Support is provided in a variety of settings, including: individual homes or flats, shared housing/accommodation, extra care schemes and individual outreach/floating support services. The support can be for just a few hours each week or 24 hours a day. The service is based on Lune Industrial Estate and was providing support to 159 people in supported living accommodation across Lancashire.

There was a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

We visited three houses where people were being supported by the service. We saw staff had a good relationship with the people in their care. People told us they were happy and liked the staff who supported them.

The provider had robust systems in place to protect people from harm and this was evidenced by a recent safeguarding referral to the local authority and police concerning an unexpected death. We saw evidence that they had taken immediate action to ensure that all staff adhered to agreed care plans. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities to report any unsafe care or abusive practices. People we spoke with told us they felt safe and their rights and dignity were respected.

The registered manager had systems in place to record safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents and take necessary action as required.

We found recruitment procedures were safe with all appropriate checks undertaken before new staff members could commence their employment. Staff spoken with and records seen confirmed a structured induction training and development programme was in place.

Staff received regular training and were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities. They had the skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their care and support needs.

Staff knew the people they were supporting and provided a personalised service. Care plans were in place detailing how people wished to be supported and people were involved in making decisions about their care.

Staff responsible for the administration of medicines had received training to ensure they had the competency and skills required. People told us they received their medicines at the times they needed them.

The registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included annual satisfaction surveys, ‘house meetings’ and care reviews. We found people were very satisfied with the service they were receiving. The registered manager and staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities and were committed to providing a high standard of care and support to people in their care.