Background to this inspection
Updated
28 December 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.
This inspection took place on 20 and 21 November 2018 and was announced. We gave the service two days’ notice of the inspection site visit because people needed to give consent for a home visit from an inspector and the Expert by Experience. The inspection was carried out by one inspector and one 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.
Before the inspection, we asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at the PIR, previous inspection reports and notifications we had received. Notifications are certain events that providers are required by law to tell us about. We also contacted eight health and social care professionals for their views on the service and heard back from three of these.
We spoke with 11 people, three relatives, two senior support workers, seven supported living workers and three registered managers. During the inspection we looked at eight people’s care plans, six staff files, medicine records and other records relating to the management of the service. We observed care practice throughout the first day of our inspection.
Updated
28 December 2018
We undertook an announced inspection of HF Trust - South Oxfordshire & Berks DCA on 20 and 21 November 2018.
HF Trust - South Oxfordshire & Berks DCA provides personal care for people with learning disabilities. This service provides care and support to 31 people living in 13 ‘supported living’ houses which they either own or rent in the Oxfordshire and West Berkshire area 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 supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support. The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen. On the days of our inspection 31 people were being supported by the service.
At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.
At this inspection we found the service remained Good overall.
Why the service is rated Good:
There were three registered managers responsible for the service. 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, we rated the responsive area of the service as good. At this inspection, we had evidence that people were receiving exceptional support ensuring that people received highly individualised person-centred support. Support plans contained detailed and personalised information and we saw that people had been supported to have a full and meaningful life enjoying interests and gaining employment. People benefited from a large range of activities and interests of their choice. There were many excellent opportunities to optimise people's social and stimulation requirements.
There was clear guidance for staff on how to meet people’s individual needs and support them to achieve their goals. We saw that people were relaxed and staff demonstrated a caring attitude. The service had ensured people’s communication was maximised which assisted their engagement.
People remained safe living in their homes. There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs and staff had time to spend with people. Risk assessments were carried out and promoted positive risk taking, which enabled people to live their lives as they chose. People received their medicines safely and were protected from the risks of infection.
The service continued to provide support in a caring way. Staff supported people with kindness and compassion and provided individualised support as staff knew people well, respected them as individuals and treated them with dignity whilst providing a high level of emotional support. People and their relatives, were fully involved in decisions about their care needs and the support they required to meet those individual needs.
People’s nutritional needs were met and staff supported people to maintain a healthy diet. Where people had specific dietary needs, these were met.
People continued to receive effective care from staff who had the skills and knowledge to support them and meet their needs. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the procedures in the service supported this practice. People were supported to access health professionals when needed and staff worked closely with people's GPs to ensure their health and well-being was monitored.
People had access to information about their care and staff supported people in their preferred method of communication.
The registered managers monitored the quality of the service and looked for continuous improvement. There was a clear vision to deliver high-quality care and support and promote a positive culture that was person-centred, open, inclusive and empowering which achieved good outcomes for people.