Background to this inspection
Updated
16 August 2017
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.
This inspection took place on 16 and 17 March 2017 and was announced. We provided 48 hours notice of the inspection because the location provides a service to people in their own homes. We also needed to be sure that staff would be available during the inspection and that records would be accessible.
The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Before the inspection, we reviewed information available to us about the service such as information from the local authority, information received about the service and notifications. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.
During our inspection we visited three of the housing schemes and spoke with six people who used the service. We also spoke with five care workers, the acting deputy manager and the registered manager.
We looked at eight people’s care records to see if they were reflective of their current needs. We reviewed four staff recruitment files, the staff duty rota and staff training records. We also looked at further records relating to the management of the service, including complaints management and quality audits, in order to review how the quality of the service was monitored and managed.
Updated
16 August 2017
Bedford Supported Living Service provides personal care and support to people with learning disabilities living in their own homes. The service is provided within four supported living housing schemes located in the town of Bedford and the surrounding area.
At the time of our inspection 46 people were using the service.
At the last inspection in June 2015, the service was rated Good.
At this inspection we found the service remained Good.
The service has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 using the service felt safe. There were systems in place to safeguard people from the risk of possible harm.
Personalised risk assessments were completed and updated regularly.
The service had robust recruitment procedures in place. There were sufficient staff on duty to meet the care and support needs of people in each of the housing schemes.
Staff were knowledgeable and competent in their roles and were supported by way of supervision and appraisals. These were consistently completed for all staff and were used give feedback on performance and plan future personal development.
People were supported to maintain their health and well-being and accessed the services of health professionals.
Staff were kind, helpful and maintained people’s dignity throughout their care and support. Positive relationships existed between people and staff.
People were involved in planning their care and deciding in which way their care was provided. Each person had a detailed care plan which was reflective of their needs and had been reviewed at regular intervals. Staff were knowledgeable about the people they were supporting and provided personalised care.
People and staff knew who to raise concerns to and information regarding the complaints procedure was available in each housing scheme. The provider had a consistent process for receiving complaints, concerns and compliments.
Quality assurance processes were in place. Feedback on the service was encouraged and people were provided with frequent opportunities to express their views on the care and support they received.
There was an open culture. People and staff found the registered manager supportive and approachable.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.