Normanshire-Supported Living Services

Updated 25 March 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of 1 inspector

Service and Service Type

This service provides care and support to people living in a ‘supported living’ setting, 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.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of Inspection

We gave the service 1 days’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. Inspection activity started on 22 December 2022 and ended on 15 February 2023. We visited the location's office on 22 December 2023, and we visited the setting where the service was being delivered on 29 December 2022.

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. We used the information the provider sent us in the information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We observed care and treatment in communal areas. We spoke with 3 relatives. We spoke with 4 staff including the registered manager, service manager and 2 care staff. We looked at a range of management records including medicines, quality audits and staff recruitment. We reviewed 3 people’s care records including risk assessments and 3 staff recruitment records. After the site visit, we continued to liaise with the service. The registered manager sent us documentation we asked for and clarified any queries we had.

Updated 25 March 2023

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and 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 supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Normanshire-Supported Living Services is a supported living service providing personal care to people living with a learning disability or autism. At the time of this inspection there were 3 people using the service living in one house sharing a bathroom, kitchen, lounge and garden.

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

Right Support:

The model of care and the setting maximised people’s choice and control. People had their own bedroom and shared the facilities. People were protected from the risks associated with the spread of infection and were supported to take their medicines safely. People were encouraged to make choices and decisions in accordance with their level of understanding.

People’s risks were assessed in a person-centred way. Care plans and risk assessments were regularly reviewed and involved relatives and advocates as appropriate. People who may become anxious or distressed had proactive plans in place to reduce the need for restrictive practices.

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.

Right Care:

Care was person-centred and promoted people’s human rights. People were protected from abuse and poor care. Relatives confirmed they were included in decision making about their relative’s care. People were supported to achieve their goals and aspirations by a staff team who knew them well.

People had their communication, cultural and spiritual needs met. Staff engaged people in activities in accordance with their individual care plans. People were supported to maintain links with their family.

Right Culture:

The managers had an open door policy and overall relatives and staff spoke positively about the management of the service. Relatives and staff confirmed they would be able to raise concerns to enable improvements to be made to the service.

The provider ensured staff had training in learning disability and autism so they could support people in a person-centred way. Governance systems ensured people were kept safe and received care in line with their personal needs and preferences. Relatives were asked by the provider about their opinions of the service. Staff worked with healthcare professionals to improve outcomes for people.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 16/02/22).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted in part due to a review of the information we held about the service and in part to concerns received about the general care and treatment of people using the service. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, responsive and well-led only. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

The overall rating for the service has remained good based on the findings of this inspection. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. Please see the safe, responsive and well-led sections of this full report.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.