Camphill Milton Keynes Communities

Updated 20 December 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.

This comprehensive inspection took place on 15 October 2018 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours' notice because the location provides a supported living service; we needed

to be sure that people would be available for us to speak with.

The inspection team consisted of two inspectors. Prior to this inspection, we reviewed information that we held about the service such as notifications. These are events that happen in the service that the provider is required to tell us about. We also considered the last inspection report and information that had been sent to us by other agencies such as commissioners who had a contract with the service.

During the inspection, we spoke with 14 people who used the service for their views about the care and support they received. We spoke with eight staff members that included the registered manager, the assessment and development manager, and six care and support staff. We also spent time observing how people and staff interacted and how care plans were being implemented.

In addition, we looked at the medication and care records of four people who used the service. We also looked at four staff files, undertook a tour of the Camphill community; visiting two houses on site. We also examined records that related to the management of the service and these included staff rotas, training and supervision records, quality audits and service user feedback, in order to ensure that robust quality monitoring systems were in place.

Updated 20 December 2018

We inspected the service on 15 October 2018. The inspection was announced.

Camphill Milton Keynes Communities provide personal care and support to people living within the Camphill Community. It is a community setting of ten houses with its own shop, café, bakery, theatre, workshops for people using the service to attend and horticulture gardens. At the time of our visit there were 62 people being supported within the Camphill Community.

This service provides care and support to people living in 10 houses on the same site 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 care service had not originally been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen. However, people were given choices and their independence and participation within the local community encouraged.

At our last inspection we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People continued to receive safe care. Staff had been provided with safeguarding training to enable them to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and how to report them. There were detailed risk management plans in place to protect and promote people’s safety. Staffing numbers were sufficient to keep people safe and the registered provider followed thorough recruitment procedures to ensure staff employed were suitable for their role.

People’s medicines were managed safely and in line with best practice guidelines. Systems were in place to ensure that people were protected by the prevention and control of infection. Accidents and incidents were analysed for lessons learnt and these were shared with the staff team to reduce further reoccurrence.

People’s needs and choices were assessed and their care provided in line with their preferences. Staff received an induction process when they first commenced work at the service and received on-going training to ensure they could provide care based on current practice when supporting people. People received enough to eat and drink and were supported to use and access a variety of other services and social care professionals. People were supported to access health appointments when required, including opticians and doctors, to make sure they received continuing healthcare to meet their needs.

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. The principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) were followed.

People continued to receive care from staff who were kind and caring. People were encouraged to make decisions about how their care was provided and their privacy and dignity were protected and promoted. People had developed positive relationships with staff who had a good understanding of their needs and preferences.

People’s needs were assessed and planned for with the involvement of the person and or their family members where required. Staff promoted and respected people's cultural diversity and lifestyle choices. Care plans were personalised and provided staff with guidance about how to support people and respect their wishes. The provider had implemented innovative ways to ensure communication was accessible to people in a format that met their needs.

The service continued to be well managed. People and staff were encouraged to provide feedback about the service and it was used to drive improvement. Staff felt well-supported and received supervision that gave them an opportunity to share ideas, and exchange information. Effective systems were in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided through a range of internal checks and audits. The registered manager was aware of their responsibility to report events that occurred within the service to the CQC and external agencies.

Further information is in the detailed findings below