Enable Ability

Updated 19 September 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection activity to ensure staff we needed to speak with were available. We visited the office location on 28 August 2018, where we met and spoke with one person who used the service, the registered manager, the two deputy managers and three sessional workers as the service terms the staff who provide the befriending services. We also reviewed four people’s care records and policies and procedures. We reviewed the recruitment and supervision records for three staff and staff training records. We spoke with one person and six people’s relatives or representatives by telephone on 29 August 2018. The inspection was completed by one adult social care inspector.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the information included in the PIR along with information we held about the service, for example, statutory notifications. A notification is information about important events, which the provider is required to tell us about by law.

The service was last inspected in November 2016 when one breach of regulations was found.

Updated 19 September 2018

This inspection took place on 28 August 2018 and was announced. Enable Ability is a registered charity that provides a range of 11 services to both children and adults with a disability in Portsmouth and the surrounding area, including for example, play schemes, Saturday clubs, groups for teenagers and advocacy. One of the many services they offer are befriending services to both children and adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. The service is registered for personal care, which means care provided to a person in the place where the person lives. Although the primary purpose of the befriending services is not the provision of personal care and most activities take place outside of people’s homes, some children or adults may on occasions during their session require either the practical provision of, or the supervision of their personal care whilst at home. At the time of this inspection, the befriending services were supporting 30 adults and 38 children, of whom 20 adults and 16 children received on occasions personal care at home if this was required during their session.

There was a registered manager in post as required. 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.

At our last inspection we found one breach of the regulations in relation to requirements for workers. Following the last inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key question of safe to at least good. At this inspection we found the required action had been taken to meet this regulation. The provider operated robust recruitment processes.

Processes were in place to protect people from the risk of abuse and risks to people had been assessed. Staff spoken with had a clear understanding of their responsibility to raise any concerns or issues. Processes were in place to ensure trained staff provided people’s medicines where required. The provider had acted to ensure the medicine administration records for the one person they currently support with medicines are returned to the office for storage once complete. Processes were in place to protect people from the risk of acquiring an infection.

People’s care needs had been assessed prior to the commencement of the service and staff were provided with relevant information both within their training and staff handbooks. Staff underwent training that was specifically tailored to the needs of the person or people they befriended. Staff were not generally involved in the provision of or preparation of food for people at home, however where they did provide this care, this was stated in the person’s care plan. Staff supported people when out as required with eating their meals.

Staff worked well across the provider’s services to ensure people experienced a seamless and joined up service. The service was not commissioned to meet people’s day to day health and well-being needs. However, staff worked closely with a range of agencies to ensure people received effective care and ensured any relevant information was shared. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Sessional workers had created meaningful relationships with both children and adults who trusted them and enjoyed spending time with them. Staff used a variety of techniques and communication methods to enable people to express their views about their care. Staff ensured people’s privacy and dignity were upheld.

The service was very responsive to people’s individual needs and the provision of people’s befriending sessions were highly personalised. People’s aspirations were identified with them and staff supported people to achieve their identified goals. Staff enabled people to have presence in their local community and to maintain relationships. Processes were in place to enable people and their representatives to raise any issues and appropriate action had been taken in response to any issues raised.

There was a clear strategy for the delivery of the service and processes were in place to monitor the culture of the service. The registered manager understood their legal responsibilities and the challenges facing the service. People, their representatives, staff and trustees were all involved in the service and their thoughts and expertise were actively sought and utilised for people’s benefit.

Internal and external processes were in place to monitor the quality of the service. The service worked in partnership with a variety of agencies to support care provision.