19 October 2015
During a routine inspection
The inspection took place on 19th October and was announced. We visited Making Space offices in Runcorn and visited people who used the service in their own homes in Warrington. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice of the inspection because the location provided a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone was available in the office as well as giving notice to people who used the service that we would like to visit them at home. We previously inspected the service in September 2013 when we found they were meeting all the regulations we looked at.
Making Space (Warrington) Domiciliary Care service is owned and managed by Making Space. The service provided care, support and enablement services for people who suffer or have suffered from a mental illness. The services are provided to people who reside in supported tenancies or within their own homes and are tailored to assist and encourage people to gain confidence in respect of their daily living skills. However, the supported tenancy scheme is not required to be registered with the Care Quality Commission and the inspection therefore focused on the services provided to people who lived in their own homes. The office is situated in Runcorn. At the time of our inspection two people were using the domiciliary care service.
The service had a registered manager who had been in post since March 2012. 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.
On the day of our inspection we found the service to be safe as it had systems in place to safeguard people from harm. We spoke with knowledgeable staff who could tell us the signs of abuse and what they would do if they suspected any form of abuse occurring. Risks to people were managed well to give people freedom, whilst keeping them safe.
The service had a robust recruitment process in place and used a matching process to ensure that there was compatibility between people and the staff who provided them with support. We found staff to have received an appropriate induction, supervision, appraisal and training which allowed them to fulfil their roles to their maximum potential.
Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and the process in place if there was a deprivation issue. People who used the service and those who commissioned these services spoke highly of the staff who provided the service and said it was carried out to a very high standard. Staff presented as encouraging people who used the service to make decisions and choice in their lives to maximise their independence and enhance their life skills.
The service was well led and run in the best interests of the people who used it.