Archived: HF Trust - Mid Devon DCA

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 currently supports 14 people receiving personal care.

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

People said they felt safe and cared for by the service. People were supported by staff who were compassionate, knew them well and with whom they had built trusting relationships. They were supported to express their views, and care was organised around their individual needs. Staff promoted people to be as independent as possible and upheld their right to privacy.

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's support focused on them having control over their daily lives and opportunities to take part in everyday routines.

People received effective care and consistent support from staff with the right skills to meet their needs. Staff monitored people’s health and wellbeing and worked with other professionals to make sure people received the treatment they required.

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 received care and support in accordance with their wishes and preferences. Support plans gave information about people’s likes and dislikes and staff knew people well. People were actively engaged in meaningful activities and relationships.

People were protected from abuse by staff who were aware of the different types of abuse, and ways to protect people. People received their medicines safely and on time.

The service was well led by the registered manager. The culture was open and promoted person centred values. People, relatives and staff views were sought and taken into account in how the service was run. The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of care provided and made improvements in response to their findings.

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 22 February 2017). At this inspection the ratings for the service have remained the same.

Why we inspected

This was a scheduled/planned inspection based on date of registration

Follow up

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

Choice South West is part of HFT a national provider of services for people with learning disabilities. This service provides personal care and support to people in their own homes in and around the Tiverton area. There are two main sites where people have their own tenancies and support is provided over a 24 hour period. The service currently supports 13 people.

The service is headed by a registered manager who had been at the service for just under 12 months. 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 were supported by staff that had the right skills. This enabled them to provide safe, effective and person centred care.

People’s care was well planned and took into consideration individuals preferred routines, likes dislikes and aspirations for the future. There was sufficient staff to meet the needs of people currently using the service.

People were cared for in a way which protected their dignity, privacy and respect. Staff knew people well and had developed strong relationships. This helped to ensure the service delivered caring and compassionate support.

Support workers received training and supervision which enabled them to feel confident in meeting people’s needs and recognising changes in people’s health. The organisation ensured best practice and good guidance was followed.

People’s rights were protected because staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and when needed were able to support people to make best interest decisions, including the involvement of independent advocates.

Systems were in place to ensure people’s medicines were handled safely and any support needed in these areas were recorded following the service policies and procedures.

Safe recruitment practices meant staff were only employed if they had the right checks in place to ensure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people. People were kept safe because staff had a good understanding about types of abuse and who they should report any concerns to.

Records showed people were supported to maintain a healthy balanced diet and their healthcare was being monitored to promote their well-being.

People were supported to follow their interests and hobbies and lead fulfilling lives. It was clear people were afforded choice and their views were sought on all aspects of the running of the service.

There were regular opportunities for people, and people that matter to them, to raise issues, concerns and compliments. People were confident their concerns would be listened to by the registered manager/staff and acted upon.

A number of effective methods were used to assess the quality and safety of the service provided.