3 November 2016
During a routine inspection
Human Support Group provides care and support for people who live in their own homes. The majority of people using the service are older people. The office is located in Carlisle and provides services in and around the local area. There were 33 people using the service when we inspected.
The service has a registered manager. 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. The registered manager of the service had responsibility for two other Human Support Group offices in Cumbria, in Whitehaven and Ulverston, as well as this one in Carlisle.
People received the care they needed from care staff who they knew and who knew them well. The staff were friendly, kind and caring and people valued the service they received.
The care staff were trained and supported to be able to provide the care people needed. Staffing levels were suitable to meet the assessed needs of people in the service. Staff recruitment was thorough with all checks completed before new staff had access to vulnerable people. The organisation had robust disciplinary procedures in place.
People were protected against the risk of abuse or avoidable harm. Hazards to people’s safety had been identified and managed. The care staff took prompt and appropriate action if they were concerned that a person was at risk. Good risk assessments and emergency planning were in place.
People told us that the staff were friendly yet polite and supported them to maintain their privacy and dignity. We saw evidence to show that staff promoted independence.
The service demonstrated that they were aware of people's capacity and documented this in people's written records of care. Each person had a detailed and up to date care plan. People were included in planning and agreeing to the care they received. People could ask for changes to their planned care and the service agreed to these where possible.
People received the support they needed to prepare meals and drinks. Staff could assist with nutritional planning if necessary. Staff supported people to get good health care. Medicines were handled safely and people received support with their medicines as they needed.
The registered manager was knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and her responsibility to protect the rights of people who could not make or express their own decisions.
The service had a good quality monitoring system that checked on all aspects of the support given. Staff and people who received support were satisfied with the way the service was led and with the culture promoted by management. People who used the services said they were involved and their opinions taken into account. Complaints were managed correctly. The service operated from a modern office which had good IT and telephone systems.