This inspection took place on 9 December 2015 and was announced.
MacIntyre Leicester LifeLong Learning is registered to provide personal care and support for people with a learning disability and autism. At the time of our inspection there were three people using the service who resided within their own home. People’s packages of care varied with some people receiving support over a period of 24 hours, whilst others received support for differing number of hours on different days.
People who used the service were unable to consent to our visiting and meeting with them to talk about the service. We were advised that our visiting some people within their own home may cause the people potential stress and anxiety, as people were not comfortable in the presence of people they did not know. We therefore spoke with people’s relatives.
MacIntyre Leicester LifeLong Learning had a registered manager in post. 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’s relatives told us they felt people’s safety was promoted and recognised by the support workers. Staff were trained in safeguarding (protecting people who use care services from abuse) and knew what to do if they were concerned about the welfare of any of the people who used the service. Where people were at risk, staff had the information they needed to help keep them safe.
People were supported by knowledgeable staff that had a good understanding as to people’s needs. Staff provided tailored and individual support to keep people safe and to provide support when their behaviour became challenging. People were supported to take ‘positive risks’ to promote their independence in leading a lifestyle of their choosing.
People were supported to manage their medicine with the support of staff where required. People in some instances were able to indicate the need to take medicine to help keep them calm down. People’s capacity to make informed decisions about taking some medicines had been assessed and best interest decisions had been made. This was to ensure people’s needs were met when they themselves were not able to promote their own safety and welfare by making an informed decision.
People using the service had a dedicated team of staff that provided support to them within their own home and the wider community. People’s views as to staff along with those of their relative were considered to ensure the staff that supported people had the appropriate skills and were able to develop a positive and trusting working relationship.
People received an effective service as people’s support plans provided clear guidance about their needs which were monitored and reviewed by the management team and senior support worker through the supervision and appraisal of staff and meetings. Systems were in place to ensure they effectively communicated with each other to provide a continuous and consistent service to people.
People were provided and supported in line with legislation and guidance. Staff had received training on the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. We found that capacity assessments had been carried out on aspects of people’s care and support. Where these assessments had identified that people did not have the capacity to make an informed decisions, then their relatives and others involved in their care had met and agreed a plan of action, referred to as a best interest meeting. The outcome of these meetings had been recorded and used to develop support plans which were regularly reviewed to ensure any decisions made on behalf of people remained in their best interest.
People were supported to with daily living tasks such as grocery shopping, meal preparation and cooking as part of their support packages. Staff encouraged people to eat a healthy diet and where necessary supported people in the eating of their meals. People’s dietary requirements to support them along with their likes and dislikes with regards to food and drink were recorded within their records.
Records showed staff where support was required liaised with people’s health care professionals to ensure that access the appropriate medical care and support.
People were supported by staff who knew them well and had developed positive and trusting relationships that been established between the people receiving a service, their relatives and staff. Staff told us that part of their role was to support people to access the wider community and to encourage social interaction and independence. Staff through discussion spoke of how they supported people’s privacy and dignity within the wider community, through the support they provided with people’s involvement and the promotion of their independence.
People were encouraged to influence the support they received through their own comments and that of their relatives. Meetings were held to ensure all interested parties, which included relatives, staff and external professionals regularly met to review the package of support people received to ensure it continued to meet their individual needs.
People’s support plans were tailored and individualised to meet their needs and reflected all aspects of their lives, including information and guidance as to the support they required within their own home and the wider community. People’s preference as to their hobbies, interests, goals and aspirations were also reflected.
Support plans were comprehensive which focused on the views of the person and how they wanted their support to be provided. There was an emphasis on the need for good communication to ensure people’s views were clearly understood.
People’s relatives were confident to raise concerns and told us that the regular contact they had with staff meant any issues could be discussed and ideas shared for the benefit of those using the service.
Staff spoke positively of the registered and front line manager (who had recently been appointed to manage the day to day running of the service) in the support they provided to them and that any issues were effectively managed to ensure people received a good service. Staff said there were effective systems which enabled them to communicate well with their colleagues to ensure that people received the support they needed.
The registered manager and front line manager had a comprehensive understanding as to the needs of people and were able to detail how staff provided support.
The provider had a robust quality assurance system which assessed the quality of the service. Information gathered as part of the quality audits was used to continually develop the service and look for ways in which people using the service could achieve greater autonomy.