Archived: START South

This announced inspection took place between 18 January and 2 February 2016. The Northampton START (Short Term Assessment and Rehabilitation Team) service provides care and support for people who need immediate support to live independently in their own home; this may be as a result of a crisis or illness, or following a discharge from hospital. They provide short term support for people to re-gain independence or identify if people require a permanent care provider to meet their longer term care needs. At the time of the inspection the service was supporting 56 people.

There was 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.

The Statement of Purpose did not reflect an accurate description of the service that was provided and adequate records were not in place to record additional reviews for people that used the service for longer than anticipated. The culture of the agency was focussed on supporting and enabling people to become as independent as possible and this was evident throughout all aspects of care. Quality assurance systems were in place to identify where improvements were required and action was taken to rectify any issues.

Improvements were required to ensure that staff received regular refresher training. Staff were knowledgeable about how to provide safe and effective care and supervisory staff completed spot checks and observations to ensure staff were competent in their care. Staff received regular supervision to ensure they were effective in their roles.

People were asked for their consent before care was provided and people were supported and encouraged to eat and drink well. Staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act and staff supported people to seek medical assistance when required. Staff identified and liaised with healthcare professionals when they needed to.

People felt safe and reassured by the care they received. People received their visits from staff when they expected it and had risk assessments in place to ensure they received care and support in a safe and supportive manner. Staff understood the need to protect people from harm and abuse and knew what action they should take if they had any concerns.

Staffing levels ensured that people received the support they required at the times they needed it and the recruitment practices were thorough and protected people from being cared for by staff that were unsuitable to work at the service. People received their medication in a safe and timely way, and staff supported people to take their medication as independently as possible.

People and staff developed positive and caring relationships with each other, and staff treated people and their relatives with kindness and understanding. People’s privacy and dignity was promoted by staff. People were encouraged to express their views, and this was acted on by staff. People had access to advocacy services if they needed it. Staff provided additional support for people above and beyond their job roles.

People’s needs were assessed and care plans provided guidance for staff about the care and support people required. People’s care was responsive and enabled people to become as independent as possible. People and their relatives were involved with the assessment process and deciding on the level of support people required. Procedures were in place to obtain and record people’s concerns and complaints and these were investigated and acted upon.