Background to this inspection
Updated
13 August 2014
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements of the Health and Social Care Act 2008. It was also part of the new inspection process CQC is introducing for adult social care services.
We visited Yorkshire Gardens on the 6th May 2014. At the time of our visit there were seven people who lived at the project. We spoke with a range of people about the service provided. They included the manager, four staff members, five people who received support and one family member. We also spoke to an advocate who provided independent advice to people at the project in order to gain a balanced overview of what people experienced accessing the service.
During our visit, we spent time observing the daily routines to gain an insight into how people's support was managed. We spent time in the staff office and talked to people in their apartments. We also spent time looking at records, which included people’s support records, staff training and supervision records and records relating to the management of the service.
The inspection team consisted of a lead inspector and an expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Yorkshire Gardens was last inspected in December 2013 when it was found to be meeting the national standards covered during that inspection. Before this visit the manager had prepared a Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR is an important element of our new inspection process. It helps us plan our inspections by asking the service to provide us with data and some written information under our five questions; Is the service safe, effective, caring responsive and well-led? We used the PIR and other information held by the Commission to inform us of what areas we would focus on as part of our inspection.
Updated
13 August 2014
Making Space – St. Helens is also known as Yorkshire Gardens and will be referred to as Yorkshire Gardens throughout the report.
There are seven self-contained apartments within the project where people live as tenants. At the time of our inspection there were seven people who used the service. Care and support is provided twenty four hours a day by staff that work onsite from an apartment which has been converted into a staff office and sleep in accommodation. Yorkshire Gardens provides support to people with learning disabilities or mental health needs. People who use the service stay for a period of between six months to two years.
The manager at Yorkshire Gardens had been in post since January 2014. They had submitted an application to register with the Care Quality Commission. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and shares the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law with the provider. At the time of our inspection, the application was still in process.
During our visit we saw that staff had developed a good relationship with the people they supported. People spoke very positively about the service and told us they felt safe and well cared for. One person told us, “The care has been amazing. Staff have gone well above what you would expect.”
Suitable arrangements were in place to protect people from the risk of abuse. People told us they felt safe and secure. Safeguards were in place for people who may have been unable to make decisions about their care and support.
We found people were involved in decisions about their care and were supported to make choices as part of their daily life. All people had a detailed care plan which covered their support needs and personal wishes. We saw plans had been reviewed and updated at regular intervals. This meant staff had up to date information about people’s needs and wishes. Records showed there was a personal approach to people’s care and they were treated as individuals.
Staff spoken with were positive about their work and confirmed they were supported by the manager. Staff received regular training to make sure they had the skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs. They were also given regular supervision and an appraisal of their work performance. This meant they were given opportunities to discuss their role and identify any future training needs.
We found there were good systems and processes in place to monitor the quality of the service provided. Staff told us they felt this was underpinned by an open reporting culture and strong leadership.