Archived: Choice Support - Havant

Updated 8 September 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 was a comprehensive inspection. The inspection took place on 17 and 18 July 2018 and was

announced. We gave the service 48 hours' notice of the inspection visit because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we need to be sure the registered manager was there.

The inspection was carried out by two inspectors on 17 and 18 July 2018. After our visit to the office we contacted two people who used the service, their relatives and seven members of staff by telephone and email.

We reviewed the information sent to us in the provider information return (PIR). The PIR 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. Before this inspection we reviewed information we had about the service including notifications. A notification is a report about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

We spoke with the registered manager; the service manager, the regional office and outreach systems manager, the acting team leader, three care workers, and one professional who has input with the service.

We reviewed four care records and associated documents for people who received personal care. We reviewed other records relating to the management of the service, including quality survey

questionnaire forms, audit reports, training records, policies, procedures, and four staff records. We also reviewed the providers recruitment practices.

Updated 8 September 2018

The inspection took place on 17 July 2018. We gave notice of our intention to visit Choice Support - Havant’s office to make sure people we needed to speak with were available. Choice Support - Havant is a domiciliary care agency that provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats in the community [and specialist housing] for adults who are living with a learning disability.

Choice Support is a charity which provides a range of social care services, not all of which are regulated by the Care Quality Commission. At the time of our inspection there were four people

whose personal care and support came under the scope of this inspection. Not everyone using Choice Support - Havant receives regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided.

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.

At our last inspection in September 2015 we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the service remained good.

People were supported to maintain good health and be involved in decisions about their health. They were provided with personalised care and support. Staff had the knowledge and skills to carry out their roles and their training was updated annually. People were positive about the care they received.

Risks to people's and staff safety were identified, assessed and appropriate action was taken. Staff had completed safeguarding adults training and knew how to keep people safe and report concerns. People's medicines were safely managed. There were thorough recruitment checks completed to help ensure suitable staff were employed to care and support people.

People were encouraged to make choices about their care and support and to be as independent as possible. People were protected by staff having regard to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). The MCA provides the legal framework to assess people's capacity to make certain decisions.

Quality assurance procedures were used to monitor and improve the service for people and included them in developing their care and support. Feedback from people and or their relatives used to improve the service Monitoring and auditing of systems had ensured action was taken when required.

The registered manager placed great importance on ensuring everybody was treated as an individual. They also ensured the staff team felt valued. The management team ensured that significant events were reported appropriately to the local authority and CQC when required.