This inspection was carried out on 15 March 2016 and was announced. Forty eight hours notice of the inspection was given because people needed support to manage changes to their routine. We needed to be sure that we reduced any anxiety that people had about our inspection.Kingsley provides accommodation and personal care for up to nine people with a learning disability. The service is a converted domestic property. Accommodation is arranged over two floors. All of the bedrooms have ensuite toilets or bathrooms. There were six people living at the service at the time of our inspection.
A registered manager was leading the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the care and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
Staff were kind and caring to people and treated them with dignity and respect at all times.
The registered manager was leading the staff team and had oversight of the service. Staff felt supported by the registered manager and were motivated. They said the manager was always available and was approachable. The registered manager and staff shared a clear vision of the service.
There were enough staff, who knew people well, to meet their needs at all times. The registered manager had considered people’s needs when deciding how many staff were required to support people in different activities. Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities and worked as a team to meet people’s needs.
Checks had been completed to make sure staff were honest, trustworthy and reliable. Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal records checks had been completed. The DBS helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and helps prevent unsuitable people from working with people who use care and support services.
Staff had completed the training they needed to provide safe and effective care to people. They were supported to provide good quality care. Some staff held recognised qualifications in care. The registered manager met regularly with staff to discuss their role and practice.
People’s care and support was planned and reviewed with them, to keep them safe and help them be independent.
Plans were in place to keep people safe in an emergency. Staff knew the signs of abuse and were confident to raise any concerns they had with the registered manager. Systems were in place to manage complaints received.
Action was taken to identify changes in people’s health, including regular health checks. People received the medicines they needed to keep them safe and well. People were offered a balanced diet that met their individual needs.
The Care Quality Commission is required by law to monitor the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Arrangements were in place to apply to the supervisory body for a DoLS authorisation when necessary. People were not restricted and went out when they wanted to.
The requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) had been met. The registered manager knew when assessments of people’s capacity to make decisions were needed. Staff assumed people had capacity and respected the decisions they made. When people needed help to make a particular decision staff helped them. Decisions were made in people’s best interests with people who knew them well.
People enjoyed a variety of activities, with support when needed. Possible risks to people had been identified and were managed to keep them as safe as possible, while supporting them to be independent.
The registered manager worked alongside staff and checked that the quality of the service was to the required standard. Any shortfalls found were addressed quickly to prevent them from happening again. People and their relatives were asked about their experiences of the care.
Accurate records were kept about the day to day running of the service care and the support people received. These provided staff with the information they needed to provide safe and consistent care to people.
Systems were in operation to regularly assess the quality of the service. People and their relatives were asked for their feedback about the quality of the service they received.