Aspects Care Limited

Updated 10 January 2020

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of one inspector and an expert by experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in a number of ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live 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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 22 October 2019 and ended on 24 October 2019. We visited the office location on these dates. The expert by experience made phone calls to people and relatives on the 23 October 2019.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service before the inspection. We sought feedback from the local authorities who work with this service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with five people, four relatives and four staff. We spoke with the registered manager the registered provider and human resources colleagues. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and two medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including training and quality monitoring records were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 10 January 2020

About the service

Aspects Care Limited is a supported living service providing personal care to 31 people many of whom were living with learning disabilities and or autism at the time of the inspection.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service received planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People received safe care. People were supported by staff who understood the action to take should they have any concerns about people’s safety. The risks associated with people’s care had been identified and plans put in place to minimise these. Staff had been recruited safely. People were supported to take their medicines safely.

People received effective care. People received support to eat and drink meals of their choosing and where required were supported to access appropriate healthcare. Staff had received training in people’s needs. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People felt well supported and cared for by staff. People told us of the benefit a regular staff team had for them. People had been involved in developing a plan of care based on their preferences. Staff enjoyed supporting people and we were informed of examples of the positive impact the service had had on people’s care.

People received care that was responsive to their needs. People had been involved in reviewing their care to ensure it continued to meet their needs. People participated in activities of their choosing. People and relatives felt able to raise any concerns and be assured these would be investigated.

The service was well led. Systems were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. People and staff were able to feedback their views of the service and had opportunities to suggest improvements. The registered manager was aware of their responsibilities for notifying the commission of specific events.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

The Secretary of State has asked the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to conduct a thematic review and to make recommendations about the use of restrictive interventions in settings that provide care for people with or who might have mental health problems, learning disabilities and/or autism. Thematic reviews look in-depth at specific issues concerning quality of care across the health and social care sectors. They expand our understanding of both good and poor practice and of the potential drivers of improvement.

As part of the thematic review, we carried out a survey with the registered manager at this inspection. This considered whether the service used any restrictive intervention practices (restraint, seclusion and segregation) when supporting people. The service used some restrictive intervention practices as a last resort, in a person-centred way, in line with positive behaviour support principles.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 5 May 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.