Cobbett House - Supported Living Service

Updated 16 November 2019

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was undertaken by 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

This service provided care and support to people with a physical disability, living in their own flats within 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

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with five people who used the service and one relative, about their experiences of the service. We spoke with three members of staff and the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s support plans and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We contacted one health and social care professional and their team, for their feedback about their experiences of the service. However, we did not receive any response.

Updated 16 November 2019

Cobbett House Supported Living Service provides support for up to seven people, who live in their own self-contained flats within a main building. There was a communal lounge, office and toilet on the ground floor. People had tenancy agreements with Selwood Housing, and care and support were provided by Leonard Cheshire Disability. At the time of our inspection, six people were using the service.

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

People felt safe and there was a positive approach to risk taking. Systems were in place to protect people from abuse. There were enough staff to support people and medicines were safely managed. Communal areas were clean, and staff had undertaken infection control training.

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. People were able to have support with meal preparation and to access health care services if needed. Staff were well supported and received a range of training to help them keep up to date with their knowledge and skills.

People had built established positive relationships with staff. Staff showed a caring approach and promoted people’s rights to privacy, dignity and independence. People were encouraged to give their views about the service and were able to direct their support.

People received a service that was tailored to their needs. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible but call for staff assistance when needed. Staff responded to people’s needs in a timely manner. People had a detailed, well written support plan, that was regularly reviewed and updated. People knew how to make a complaint and were encouraged to raise concerns if they were not happy with the service they received.

There was a clear ethos, based on independence, that was adopted throughout the staff team. A range of audits were in place to assess the quality and safety of the service. There was positive feedback about the registered manager. They had a clear overview of the service and people’s needs. However, there was no management structure and contingency plans had not been made in the event of the registered manager’s absence. We made a recommendation to address this.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 6 April 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.