About the service Upward Care Limited is a supported living service providing personal care to people with a learning disability. There were forty-nine people using the service at the time of the inspection.
People using the service lived in a variety of different houses, including shared houses and apartments with up to five people sharing. Staff provided overnight support for people as well as in the day and most properties included a staff sleep in room.
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.
Some aspects of the service have 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 receive 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 and support. Staff had received training on safeguarding adults and were aware of their responsibilities to protect people from avoidable harm. Medicines were given in a safe way and staff followed infection control procedures. Accidents and incidents were recorded and followed through with appropriate action to minimise the risk of re-occurrence
People’s care and support reflected their individual assessed needs. Staff had the appropriate skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs and received training and ongoing support. People were supported to eat where needed and staff sought healthcare support for people if required. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
All the people we spoke with told us they liked where they were living and they were well cared for. 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.
People received care and support that respected their individual preferences and lifestyle choices. Information was presented in accessible formats to support people to be involved in their care and support and make decisions. The provider had a complaints process and people felt confident to raise any concerns. People’s wishes in relation to their end of life care were discussed and plans made with them.
A number of quality audits were in place to assess and monitor the quality and safety of the service. People told us that the manager was approachable and responsive and staff felt supported. People received opportunities to share their views about the service they received. Some systems needed further development to ensure staff were competent when carrying out specific healthcare tasks.
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 20 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.