Background to this inspection
Updated
7 September 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 checked 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 7 August 2017 and was announced. The provider was given two working days’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be available at the office. We also needed to arrange to speak to people who used the service and staff as part of this inspection during the office visit. We also spoke to people’s relatives by telephone after the office visit. The inspection team consisted of one inspector.
We did not send the provider a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. 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. However, we gave the management team the opportunity to provide us with information they wished to be considered during our inspection.
We checked the information we held about the service and the provider. This included notifications the provider had sent to us about significant events at the service and information we had received from the local authority quality monitoring team.
We spoke with three people who used the service, three people’s relatives and two members of care staff. We also spoke with the registered manager, the team leader, and the support coordinator who were based at the office. We did this to gain people's views about the care and to check that standards of care were being met.
We looked at the care records for two people. We checked that the care they received matched the information in their records. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service, including quality checks and staff files.
Updated
7 September 2017
We inspected this service on 7 August 2017. This inspection was announced. This meant the provider and staff knew we would be visiting the service’s office before we arrived. This was the first inspection since the provider’s registration on the 1 March 2016. This service supports adults with a learning disability to live in the community. Some of the accommodation was within a supported living setting, other support was provided to people living with their family or living independently. There were six people in receipt of personal care at the time of this inspection visit.
The service had 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.
People were protected from the risk of harm because identified risks were managed safely. The provider had completed safe recruitment practices. The staff understood what constituted abuse or poor practice and people were supported to take their medicines as needed. People were supported by staff that received the training and support they needed to develop their skills. Staff felt listened to and were happy to raise concerns.
People were supported by a consistent staff team that knew them well and promoted their independence People were supported to make their own decisions. When people were unable to consent they were supported in their best interest.
People’s needs were assessed and support plans where developed with them so that they could be supported in their preferred way. People were supported to maintain a diet that met their dietary requirements and preferences and were supported to use healthcare services. People were enabled to develop and maintain hobbies, interests and work opportunities within the local community to promote equality and integration.
There were processes in place for people to express their views and opinions about the service and to raise any concerns they had. Information on how to raise concerns was provided to people in an accessible format to support their understanding. Quality monitoring checks were completed by the provider and management team and when needed action was taken to make improvements. The provider and registered manager understood their responsibilities around registration with us.