Background to this inspection
Updated
11 October 2016
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check 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.
Before the inspection, we had received a completed Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the PIR and other information we held about the service as part of our inspection. This included the notifications we had received from the provider. Notifications are changes, events or incidents the provider is legally obliged to send CQC within required timescales. We contacted commissioners from the local authorities who contracted people's care. We spoke with the local safeguarding teams.
This inspection took place on 28 June, 7 July and 18 August 2016 and was an unannounced inspection. It was carried out by an adult social care inspector. During the inspection the inspector visited the provider's head office to look at records and speak with staff. After the inspection the inspector visited two houses to speak with people who lived there and the staff who supported them.
As part of the inspection we spoke with seven people who were supported by Mencap staff, five support workers, the registered manager and nine relatives. We reviewed a range of records about people's care and checked to see how the schemes were managed. We looked at care plans for five people, four medicine records, the recruitment, training and induction records for five staff, staffing rosters, staff meeting minutes, meeting minutes for people who used the service and the quality assurance audits that the registered manager completed.
Updated
11 October 2016
This was an unannounced inspection carried out over three days on 28 June, 7 July and 18 August 2016.
We last inspected Mencap Gateshead and Durham in March 2014. At that inspection we found the service was meeting all of the legal requirements in force at the time.
Mencap Gateshead and Durham domiciliary care agency is registered to provide personal care to adults with learning disabilities. People are supported by staff to live individually in their own homes or in small groups, referred to as independent supported living schemes. Different levels of support are provided over the 24 hour period dependent upon people's requirements. Many of the people are tenants of their home and pay rent for their accommodation which is leased from housing associations.
A registered manager was in post. 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.
People told us they felt safe. Robust vetting procedures were in place when new staff were recruited. People were relaxed and appeared comfortable with the staff who supported them. Staff had received training and had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Best Interest Decision Making, when people were unable to make decisions for themselves. There were other opportunities for staff to receive training to meet people's care needs.
Staff knew the people they were supporting well. Care was provided with patience and kindness and people’s privacy and dignity were respected. Care plans were in place detailing how people wished to be supported and people were involved in making decisions about their care. People were supported to maintain some control in their lives. They were given information in a format that helped them to understand if they did not read to encourage their involvement in every day decision making.
People told us they were supported to go on holiday and to be part of the local community. They were provided with opportunities to follow their interests and hobbies and they were introduced to new activities. People had food and drink to meet their needs. Some people were assisted by staff to cook their own food. Other people received meals that had been cooked by staff. People had access to health care professionals to make sure they received appropriate care and treatment. People received their medicines in a safe and timely way. The premises were clean with a good standard of hygiene but we have made a recommendation about referring to guidance in relation to infection control.
People had the opportunity to give their views about the service. There was regular consultation with people and family members and their views were used to improve the service. The provider undertook a range of audits to check on the quality of care provided.