Background to this inspection
Updated
10 July 2019
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
One inspector, one assistant inspector and an Expert by Experience carried out this inspection.
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 is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. In addition, the service provides care and support to people living in ‘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 domiciliary care or supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was announced.
The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care/supported living service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in.
Inspection activity started on 12 June 2019 and ended on 17 June 2019. We visited the office location on 13 and 17 June 2019.
What we did before the inspection
We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.
We asked the local authority and Healthwatch for any information they had which would aid our inspection. Local authorities together with other agencies may have responsibility for funding people who used the service and monitoring its quality. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with six people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the director, registered manager, support worker, support co-ordinator, acting support coordinator, team manager and a recruitment performance officer.
We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. In addition, we looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including quality monitoring checks were reviewed.
Updated
10 July 2019
About the service
Creative Support - Telford and Shropshire services provides personal care to people with a learning disability within supported living environments and in the community. At the time of the inspection the service was supporting 21 people.
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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were not always safe or protected from the risks of abuse as the provider did not always follow their own safeguarding procedures, or recognised guidelines, when a concern was raised with them.
The provider did not always make notifications to the CQC of events that had occurred which, they are required to do by Law.
The provider had assessed risks to people associated with their care and support. Staff members were knowledgeable about these risks and knew what to do to minimise the risk of harm to people.
When it was needed people received support with their medicines by trained and competent staff members.
Staff members were aware of the necessary action they should take in the event of an emergency.
Staff members followed effective infection prevention and control procedures when supporting people in their own homes. Staff members had appropriate personal protection equipment supplied by the provider.
The provider supported staff in providing effective care for people through person-centred care planning, training and one-to-one supervision.
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 were supported to refer themselves for additional healthcare services when required. When appropriate people were supported to maintain a healthy diet by a staff team which knew their individual preferences.
People received help and support from a kind and compassionate staff team with whom they had developed positive relationships.
People were supported by staff members who were aware of their individual protected characteristics like age, gender and disability.
People were supported to develop their independence whilst living in their own home.
People were provided with information in a way they could understand. The provider had systems in place to encourage and respond to any complaints or compliments from people or those close to them.
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 provider, and management team, had good links with the local communities within which people lived.
Enforcement
We have identified breaches in relation to keeping people safe from the risks of abuse and failure to make notifications to the CQC.
Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was ‘Good’ (published 17 December 2016).
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.