Background to this inspection
Updated
29 July 2021
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 a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care 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 did not have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that the provider was legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. A new manager had started at the service and was in the process of registering with CQC.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did before the inspection
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 reviewed the information we held about the service on our internal systems. This included notifications received from them in relation to accidents, incidents or safeguarding concerns. We also reviewed the provider’s action plan which they submitted to us following our last inspection.
We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with two people who used the service and one relative about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including the manager, senior care workers, care workers and the provider’s management staff.
We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and a variety of records relating to the management of the service.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We received feedback from one social care professional who knew of the service.
Updated
29 July 2021
About the service
Creating Lifestyles Surbiton provides personal care to people living in two supported living services. People receiving the care have a learning disability. At the time of our inspection, 10 people were living across the two houses. Two people 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
Improvements had been made to the service since our last inspection. People told us they felt safe and there was a good atmosphere between people and staff. People received the medicines they required, and they were cared for by a sufficient number of staff.
Where risks to people had been identified, staff responded to these by following guidance in people’s care plans. Staff knew people extremely well and as such they were able to tell us about people’s individual characteristics.
People said staff were kind to them and there was evidence people were involved in the planning of their own care. People were provided with the foods they required, and staff worked with external agencies to support people to access healthcare when needed.
The manager displayed a positive approach towards people and staff, and they were working with the provider’s management team to sustain improvements already made.
Governance systems were in place and people were given the opportunity to contribute to the service through their feedback. In turn, staff were supported through appropriate training, supervision and team meetings.
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.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting some of the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. People were encouraged, by the attitudes and behaviours of staff to remain independent and care provided to them was person centred.
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 requires improvement (published 17 July 2019).
The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Creating Lifestyles Surbiton on our website at www.cqc.org.uk
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.