Kitcare Supported Living

Updated 7 April 2020

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

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service is registered as a domiciliary care agency and supported living service. At the time of the inspection it provided care and support to people living in two ‘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 supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. The inspection was undertaken over one day.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with seven people who used the service about their experience of the support provided. We spoke with four members of staff and the registered manager.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s support records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including audits and feedback from people were also reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification to validate evidence found. We spoke with one person’s relative after the inspection visit and received written feedback from one relative and four professionals who work with the service.

Updated 7 April 2020

About the service

Kitcare Supported Living service provides personal care support to younger adults and people aged 65 and over. People that used the service lived in one of the two supported living houses; where the staff from Kitcare supported them. People had their own bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms. They shared communal areas of the home, such as the kitchen, living room and laundry facilities. There was an office with sleep in facilities for staff in both houses. The manager’s office for the service was to the rear of one of the supported living homes, with its own separate entrance. In one house there was seven beds and at the time of the inspection five people were living there. The larger house had11 beds, two were self-contained apartments to the rear of the house. At the time of the inspection 10 people were living there. This is larger than current best practice guidance. However. the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design fitting into the residential area and other domestic homes of a similar size. There were deliberately no identifying signs to indicate it was a supported living home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People's support needs were met as sufficient numbers of trained staff were available to them.

People were supported by staff who understood their role in protecting them from the risk of harm. People were supported to take reasonable risks, so that they could do things they enjoyed and be part of the local community. Environmental risks were assessed and managed to enable people to keep safe.

Where needed people were supported in a safe way to take their prescribed medicine. The staff's suitability to work with people was established before they commenced employment and people were involved in the recruitment process. Staff supported people to keep their home clean and systems were in place to guide staff on the prevention and control of infection.

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.

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 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.

Staff knew people well and understood their support needs and preferences. People were treated with consideration and respect by the staff and were supported to maintain their dignity. People were supported to maintain relationships with those who were important to them.

The registered manager and staff team included people and their representatives in the planning of their care. Processes were in place for people and their representatives to raise any concerns about the service provided. People and their representatives were consulted and involved in the ongoing development of the service.

Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and felt supported by the management team. The

provider and registered manager understood their legal responsibilities with us. Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service, to enable the registered manager and provider to drive improvement.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection (and update)

The last rating for this service was Good (published 17 May 2018 ). Since this rating was awarded the provider altered its legal entity on 01/03/2019. This is the first inspection under the service’s new legal entity.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the registration date of the change in legal entity of this service.

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.