Background to this inspection
Updated
14 November 2018
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.
This inspection site visit took place on 10 October 2018 and was unannounced. It included visits to people in their own homes. We visited the office location to see the manager and to review care records and policies and procedures.
Before the inspection we reviewed the other information we held on the service such as notifications. A notification is information about important events the provider is required to send to us by law. We reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We asked health and social care professionals for their views of the service.
During the inspection we spoke with five people using the service and a relative about their experiences and views of the service. We also spoke with three staff members and the registered manager. We looked at three care plans, two staff records and other records related to the running of the service such as medicines records, staff training and audits.
After the inspection we sought feedback by phone from three other relatives, as well as two health and social care professionals using the service.
Updated
14 November 2018
53 West Park provides personal care and support to people living in supported living settings, so that they can live in their own home as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support. People using the service lived in their own rooms or bed sits within a large house with a communal kitchen, living room and a garden. At the time of the inspection there were nine people using the service and eight people receiving the regulated activity personal care.
People using the service had learning disability or autism and or mental health needs The support service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Commission’s Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.” Registering the Right Support CQC policy.
At our last inspection on 23 and 24 March 2016 we rated the service Good overall and well led requires improvement because there was no registered manager. At this unannounced inspection on 10 October 2018 we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good overall and well led remained Requires Improvement. This was because although there had been some improvement and a registered manager was now in place who understood the requirements of them and we received positive feedback about their leadership.
There were however, some aspects of the quality monitoring that needed improvement to ensure they were effective in relation to the storage of some medicines, some records and updating the fire risk assessment. Action was taken to address some of these issues during and following the inspection
There was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.
Improvement was needed because actions identified from audits were not always promptly acted on. The registered manager told us they had been without a deputy manager until recently but now one was appointed she was confident they could address the shortfalls found. We will check on this at our next inspection.
People told us they felt safe and were supported to be safe in the community. Staff understood how to protect people from abuse or harm. Risks to people were assessed and guidance provided to staff to reduce risk. There were processes in place to learn from accidents and incidents.
People were supported and encouraged to keep their rooms and shared communal areas clean and staff had training on how to reduce infection risk. Medicines were safely managed and administered.
There were enough staff to meet people’s support needs. Staff received sufficient training supervision and support to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. There was a range of training provided that helped them support people’s individual needs.
The service worked in an inclusive way and prior to joining the service people's needs were carefully assessed in partnership with service users, their families and health and social care professionals where relevant.
Staff and the registered manager understood their roles and responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice. Staff told us and we saw they sought the consent of people before they delivered care and support.
People were encouraged and supported to meet their dietary and nutritional needs and provide them with sufficient choice. The service worked with health and social care services and professionals to maintain the health and well-being of people they supported. The service supported people when they moved between services through effective communication to ensure their care and support were coordinated well.
People told us staff were kind and caring and treated them with dignity and respect. People were involved in making decisions about their support and encouraged to be as independent as possible. there had bene no complaints since the last inspection.
People had personalised support plans which were reviewed regularly and addressed all aspects of their needs. Relatives told us they were consulted and kept up to date with any changes. Information was available to people in formats they were familiar with. Where appropriate people were encouraged to find employment or suitable training and participate in the local community. The service supported people’s diverse needs.
People their relatives and health professionals spoke positively about the leadership at the service. People’s views about the service were sought in a number of ways and the information used to consider any improvements.