About the service Community Wessex - East is registered to provide personal care to people in their own homes. 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 5 people with autism, learning disabilities and mental health needs were receiving 24-hour support with personal care in their own supported living accommodation.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
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. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.
Right Support:
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.
Staff focused on people’s strengths and promoted what they could do, so people had a fulfilling and meaningful everyday life.
Staff did everything they could to avoid using physical interventions and these were only used as a last resort in line with people’s plans. The service recorded when physical intervention was used, and staff learned from those incidents and how they might be avoided or reduced.
The service gave people care and support in a safe, clean, well equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained environment that met their sensory and physical needs.
Right Care:
The people we met during our inspection were able to use their preferred method of communication to express they felt safe and were happy with the care staff who supported them.
Relatives of people using the service told us their loved ones were kept safe from potential harm as the service regularly reviewed risks to people and, put measures in place to reduce the likelihood of harm. Records showed us staff encouraged people to be independent and take positive risks to ensure people lived as full lives as possible.
Staff knew people well and had been trained to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse. Staff knew who to raise concerns to both internally and externally and, felt confident to do so if they had any concerns.
People who had individual ways of communicating such as, using body language, sounds, sign language, pictures and symbols could interact comfortably with staff and others involved in their care and support. Staff had the necessary skills to understand them.
People’s care, treatment and support plans reflected their range of needs, and this promoted their wellbeing and enjoyment of life.
Right Culture:
People were supported by staff who understood best practice in relation to the wide range of strengths, impairments, or sensitivities people with a learning disability and/or autistic people may have. This meant people received compassionate and empowering care that was tailored to their needs.
Staff knew and understood people well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing.
People and those important to them, including advocates, were involved in planning their care.
Staff evaluated the quality of support provided to people, involving the person, their families and other professionals as appropriate.
People’s quality of life was enhanced by the service’s culture of improvement and inclusivity.
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 13/08/2021 and this is the first inspection.
The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good (published on 1 April 2020).
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.