Archived: Mencap - Gateshead and Durham Domiciliary Care Agency

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.

We asked people whether staff always attended when they expected them to. All of the people we spoke with said they did. One person said 'I've never had that, they always come.' Another person said 'They do, if they are ever going to be late they give me a ring so I know.'

There were appropriate arrangements in place for people to be given their prescribed medicines safely.

Staffing was well organised and ensured people were provided with a reliable and consistent service.

There were well established systems for assuring and improving the quality of the service that people received. There was also an effective complaints process that people understood and felt confident to use if they had any concerns.

We found staff were well trained and supported by their managers. The provider had effective systems to monitor the quality of the service and ensure people remained safe.