Background to this inspection
Updated
6 January 2015
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 9th and 10th December 2014 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the service provides a night visiting service and supported care services for younger adults who are often out during the day; we needed to be sure that someone would be in when we visited. We also needed to ensure the registered manager was available at the office for us to speak to them.
The inspection team consisted of an adult social care inspector and an expert by experience with expertise in care of people who have a learning disability. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The expert by experience telephoned 13 people who used both services to gain their views and experiences of the service.
Prior to the inspection visit we gathered information from a number of sources. We looked at the information received about the service from notifications sent to the Care Quality Commission by the registered manager. Prior to our visit we had received a provider information return (PIR) from the provider which helped us which helped us to prepare for the inspection. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
At the office we spoke with the registered manager, three support team managers and a group home co-ordinator. We also visited two small group homes and spoke with five people who used the service. We telephoned and spoke with two support workers and a relative of a person who used the night visiting service.
We looked at documentation relating to people who used the service, staff and the management of the service. This took place in the office. We looked at three people’s written records, including their plans of their care. This took place in people’s own homes and we asked permission from the people before we looked at these records.
Updated
6 January 2015
This was an announced inspection carried out on 9th and 10th December 2014. This was the first time this service has been inspected by the Care Quality Commission
The service is registered to provide two services to people living in the community.
A night visiting service: This service operates 365 days per year between the hours are 9pm-6am. Three teams (four staff per team) operate in three distinct geographical locations of Doncaster (Central, North & East). The aim of the service is to provide an alternative to residential care for those people with an assessed need for support during the night. The service currently supports 49 people. The service provides support with assisting people with their toilet and hygiene needs, encouraging fluid intake, repositioning in bed, and assisting to bed.
A learning disability service: This service operates 365 day per year. It is a relatively small service with 10 support staff. The service supports 34 people. Each person lives in rented accommodation with up to 3 other people. As such the support plans reflect both individual support and joint support. Individual support includes assistance with maintaining personal hygiene, assistance with laundry, assistance with shopping and meal preparation. Joint/ individual support may include assistance with using public transport and using community facilities such as shopping, going to the cinema and other social events.
There is a registered manager which oversees both services. 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.
People told us they felt safe in their own homes and staff were available to offer support when needed to help them maintain their independence. One person (small group homes) said, “I like living here, we all get on very well, and staff are here when we need help with things.” Another person (night visiting service) told us, “The staff are very good. They pop in during the night to make sure I am safe, sometimes they will wake me but other times I don’t even know they have been. A relative we spoke with said, “My mum has visits during the night and it gives me peace of mind that she is safe. Staff know to contact me at any time if there is a problem.”
People who live in the small group homes told us about the range of activities that they were able to access. This included attending social centres and drama groups. One person told us about taking drum lessons while another person liked to be involved in drama groups and playing snooker. People maintained friendships and visited family independently using public transport.
People were able to plan their own meals and staff supported people to go shopping and preparing meals. People we spoke with told us they liked to eat healthy food and also liked to eat out at the local pub. One group told us how they were looking forward to meeting friends and having a Christmas lunch at a nearby pub.
People who lived in the small group homes were able to manage their medication independently. Staff supported them to order prescriptions and sometimes attended health appointments.
People were able to raise any concerns they may have had. We saw the service user guide included ‘how to make a complaint’ This was written in a suitable format for people who used the service.
People were encouraged to give their views about the quality of the care provided to help drive up standards. Quality monitoring systems were in place and the registered manager had overall responsibility to ensure lessons were learned and action was taken to continuously improve the service.