Archived: The Moors

Updated 29 April 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.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of two inspectors.

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.

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.

Notice of inspection

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.

Inspection activity started on 10 March 2022 and ended on 18 March 2022. We visited the service on 10 March 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since its registration. We sought feedback from the local authority. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service about their experience, two of whom were receiving the regulated activity personal care. We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager, shift leader and support workers. We observed interactions between staff and people who used the service.

After the inspection

We received feedback from three healthcare professionals. We reviewed quality assurance and training records. We spoke with two relatives about their experience of the care provided.

Updated 29 April 2022

About the service

The Moors is a supported living service providing support and personal care for people with a learning disability and autism in one house with shared communal areas. Not everyone 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. At the time of our inspection there were four people using the service, two of whom were receiving personal care.

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

People who used the service and their relatives told us they felt safe being supported by staff and that staff had the skills and experience to support them appropriately. People’s risks in relation to their care were managed and they were able to live independent lives. There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people’s needs and people were supported on a one-to-one basis.

We were assured the service were following safe infection prevention and control procedures to keep people safe.

People who used the service and their relatives told us staff were kind, caring and respectful towards them. People's care plans and the support from the registered manager provided staff with the information required to support people effectively. People were involved in the planning of their care and their wishes were respected.

Management had undertaken regular audits to look at lessons that could be learnt and made appropriate improvements to the service.

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 statutory guidance which supports CQC 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 the underpinning principles of Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture.

Right Support: Model of care and setting maximises people’s choice, control and Independence

People were supported by staff to work towards their individual goals and objectives. Staff encouraged and supported people to live as independently as possible and to have control over their lives. People were encouraged to express their views using a variety of communication methods and staff actively sought feedback which was discussed with individuals. People were encouraged and supported by staff to have control in their daily lives.

Right Care: Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and human rights

People who used the service and their relatives told us they felt supported by staff in a kind and caring way. The service was situated in a residential area and there were no outward signs to differentiate it from other houses in the street. Local shops and amenities were within walking distance and we observed people going to buy items independently when they wished to do so. Staff knew people well and ensured they were supported with their social and care needs in a person-centred way. The kitchen was always accessible and people were encouraged to do their own meal preparations with the support from staff.

Right Culture: Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives

The culture of the service was open, inclusive and empowered individuals to express their views on how the service was run. People told us they felt confident and were supported to manage potential risks, for example when they independently undertook long train journeys. We observed staff supporting people to ensure they had a safe journey and we were told by people that they had practiced the journey until they felt confident enough to undertake it independently. People who used the service and their relatives were complimentary of staff and the leadership of the service.

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 26 November 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on when the service first registered with us and to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture.

Follow up

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