Background to this inspection
Updated
21 April 2018
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 and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
An adult social care inspector completed this announced inspection on 13 and 14 March 2018. We gave the provider short notice of our inspection due to the nature of the service. This was so the registered manager could be available to assist us with our inspection. We contacted family members and healthcare professionals by telephone on 12, 21 and 28 March 2018.
We reviewed information we held about the service, including the notifications we had received from the provider. Notifications are reports about any changes, events or incidents the provider is legally obliged to send us within required timescales. We used the feedback we received to inform the planning of our inspection.
We contacted external healthcare professionals and the placing authority commissioners to gain their views of the service provided at the service.
Over the course of the inspection we met nine people who used the service and called six relatives. We spoke with the registered manager, three care coordinators and eight support workers. We looked at six care records and medicine administration records (MARs). We looked at four staff files, which included recruitment records, as well as records relating to the management of the service.
Updated
21 April 2018
This inspection took place on 13 and 14 March 2018 and was announced. We gave the provider short notice of our inspection due to the nature of the service. This was so the registered manager could be available to assist us with our inspection. We contacted family members and healthcare professionals by telephone on 12, 21 and 28 March 2018.
This service provides care and support to 58 people living in various ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live in their own home as independently as possible. All of the people supported are living with either a learning disability and/or Autism Spectrum Disorders. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.
The service had a manager who has been registered with CQC since January 2012. 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.
At the last inspection in November 2015, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.
Risk assessments contained detailed information about the steps that should be taken to reduce the risks. Also staff ensured assessments and support plans were kept up to date.
Staff had received training in safeguarding adults and the registered manager understood their responsibilities to identify and report any concerns. Safe recruitment processes were followed to ensure only suitable people were employed. We found staff had received a wide range of training, which gave them the skills and knowledge to support the people they supported.
People’s care managers determined the number of hours of support required and we noticed that for some individuals this meant that in an evening and, at times, over the weekend one staff member stayed with up to four people in a house. People told us that this could mean that to go out into town or to events everyone had to agree to go. The registered manager was aware of this difficulty and was working with care managers to resolve this.
Medicines were managed safely and people received their medicines as prescribed. We found staff appropriately supported people to access health and social care professionals, when needed.
We found that people had formed strong, caring relationships with staff who worked with them. We saw that staff treated people in a dignified and respectful manner.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Policies and systems in the service support this practice. Consent to care and treatment was clearly documented and appropriate authorisations were in place when people lacked capacity to make decisions.
Activities were developed around people’s interests. People were supported to maintain relationships and access the local community.
The service had a clear process for handling complaints. The registered manager was aware of the Accessible Information Standard that was introduced in 2016. The Accessible Information Standard is a law which aims to make sure people with a disability or sensory loss are given information they can understand, and the communication support they need. They told us they provided and accessed information for people that was understandable to them and ensured information was available in different formats and fonts.
Effective management systems were in place to monitor the quality of care provided and to promote people's safety and welfare.