Archived: Creative Support - North Lincolnshire Service

Updated 18 May 2016

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 registered 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.

The inspection of Creative Support - North Lincolnshire Service took place on 4 March 2016 was unannounced. We subsequently carried out a further inspection visit on 8 March 2016 which was announced. This was to enable us to meet the people living in supported living arrangements in their own homes and was in consideration of their needs and to ensure they would be available. The inspection team consisted of an adult social care inspector, who was accompanied by a colleague from the Care Quality Commission Regulatory Development team on the second day of the inspection.

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 checked our records to see what notifications had been sent to us by the registered provider. This showed us how they had responded to accidents and incidents that affected the people who used the service.

The local authority safeguarding and performance teams were contacted prior to the inspection, to ask them for their views on the service and whether they had any on-going concerns.

Due the complex needs of people who used the service, many were unable to provide us with clear verbal comments about their experiences and views of the service. We therefore used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI) in the communal areas of the service. SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experiences of people who could not talk with us. We spent time observing the interactions between the people who used the service and staff.

We visited three supported living projects and spoke with five people who used the service, together with eleven of their relatives following our visit. We spoke with five members of staff, together with the registered manager and the area manager for the service. We also spoke with professional staff in the community who commissioned the service.

We looked at the care files and other important documentation that related to four people who used the service. These included, medication administration records (MARs) and accident and incident records. We looked at how the service used the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to ensure that when people were assessed as lacking capacity to make their own decisions, best interest meetings were held in order to make important decisions on their behalf.

We looked at a selection of documentation relating to the management and running of the service. These included three staff recruitment files, training records, staff rotas, minutes of meetings with staff and people who used the service, quality assurance audits, complaints management, cleaning schedules and maintenance of equipment records. We also undertook a tour of the service.

Updated 18 May 2016

Creative Support - North Lincolnshire Service is a Domiciliary Care Agency that is registered to provide personal care to people who live in supported living accommodation arrangements. Each of the supported living services provides support to people who live in their accommodation, with their own tenancy agreements. The people using the service received individual bespoke support hours depending on their assessed needs, following an assessment by the local authority who commissions the service. The aim of the service is to provide people with the support they need to live as independently as possible.

This inspection of Creative Support - North Lincolnshire Service took place on 4 March 2016 was unannounced. We subsequently carried out a further inspection visit on 8 March 2016 which was announced. This was to enable us to meet the people living in supported living arrangements in their own homes and was in consideration of their needs and to ensure they would be available.

The service was last inspected on 27 and 30 June 2014, when it was found to be compliant with the regulations inspected.

At the time of our inspection the service was providing personal care to 21 people under supported living arrangements.

There was a registered manager in place for the service. 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.

Due the complex needs of people who used the service, many were unable to provide clear verbal comments about their experiences and views about the service. We therefore observed their interactions with staff.

Staff were safely recruited and received training about the protection of vulnerable adults to ensure they could recognise and report issues of potential abuse.

Assessments concerning the management of known risks for people were carried out and regularly reviewed to enable staff to keep people safe from harm. Staff training was provided to ensure they knew how to positively manage the behaviours of people who used the service. Incidents and accidents were recorded and analysed to enable them to be minimised.

Staff were provided with training to ensure they knew how to administer medicines to people safely and audits of Medication Administration Records (MARs) were carried out to ensure potential errors were identified and action taken to minimise them occurring again.

Staffing levels were monitored to ensure there were sufficient numbers available to keep people safe from harm. People who used the service appeared comfortable with staff, who we observed were very sensitive in ensuring their individual needs were met and communicated with them in kind and friendly way that could be understood.

People who used the service were supported by staff who had received training in how to meet their needs. People who needed support with making informed decisions and choices were protected by use of legislation to ensure their human rights were protected

People received support that was person-centred and based on their individual wishes, needs and preferences. People and their relatives were involved in the development and provision of their support where this was possible. People were supported to maintain a healthy and balanced diet to ensure their nutritional needs were met. Staff supported people’s medical needs and liaised with health professionals for advice and guidance when this was required.

We observed staff interacted positively with people who used the service and involved them in making decisions, to ensure they were happy with how their support was delivered. People told us that staff treated them with kindness, dignity and respect at all times.

People who used the service were encouraged to develop their aspirations and goals based on their personal strengths and interests. A comprehensive range of ‘creativities’ (opportunities for social interaction and personal development) took place at the office base of the service and in the community to ensure their independence was maximised and enable their social inclusion to be promoted.

People were asked for their views about the service. Satisfaction surveys were sent out to people and action was taken to help the service improve. There was an accessible complaints policy using pictures and words to help people raise a complaint if they were unhappy with support they received and have this resolved where this was possible.

The registered manager understood their responsibilities and reported accidents, incidents and other notifiable incidents as required. Arrangements were in place to ensure equipment was appropriately serviced and a business continuity plan was available for use in emergency situations.