Away Day Care

Updated 3 December 2022

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 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 one inspector and an 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.

Service and service type

Away Day Care provides the regulated activities service types; a residential respite service, supported living services and a domiciliary care agency. The domiciliary care agency provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats. The respite service at Away Day Care is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Away Day Care is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. People stay at the service on a short-term basis for respite. The service is also a supported living service.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

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

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since it registered with the Commission. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider 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 sought feedback from the local authority. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people using the service, 11 relatives and 9 people who worked at the service including support workers, the deputy manager, the registered manager and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We reviewed records relating to safety and the running of the service. We reviewed four care plans and three staff records.

Updated 3 December 2022

About the service

Away Day Care is registered to provide the regulated activities accommodation with nursing and/or personal care and personal care. These regulated activities are provided across their 3 services, which include a residential care home “Fairway’s” which provides respite care for up to 5 people at a time, on a short-term basis, a supported living service and a domiciliary care service. At the time of the inspection, there were 5 people being supported at the respite service, 5 people at the supported living service and 1 person was being supported by the domiciliary care agency.

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

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.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of right support, right care, right culture.

Right Support: People’s choices were at the forefront of decision making. Staff supported people to complete tasks independently, where possible. Staff communicated with people in ways that met their needs. Staff focused on people's strengths and promoted what they could do, so people had a fulfilling and meaningful everyday life.

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: People received person centred care from staff who had an active interest in putting the individual first. Staff had received appropriate training to support people with their needs. The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people's needs and keep them safe. Staff assessed the risks people might face. Where appropriate, staff encouraged and enabled people to take positive risks. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. There were robust internal safeguarding systems in place to keep people safe.

Right Culture: People led inclusive and empowered lives because of the ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the management and staff. The provider had developed the service to support and improve the lives of people living or staying at the service. The values of the service underpinned the support people received. People were empowered to lead fulfilling lives and make choices about how to spend their lives.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 4 September 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

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