Archived: Care Management Group

Updated 9 August 2019

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.

Inspection team: The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.

Service and service type:

The service is registered as a supported living service. CQC are currently in discussion about this registration with the provider based on this inspection. This was because the service appeared to operate more as a care home. The choice to live at the service and receive care from the organisation had not been recently reviewed. This process would need to involve suitable advocacy as people did not have mental capacity to make this choice. Staff also followed the providers care home procedures in certain areas such as medicines administration.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection: The inspection was unannounced and carried out on the 24 April 2019 .

What we did:

Before the inspection we reviewed all the information we had about the service, including notifications and responses from questionnaires we had sent to people using or staff working for the service.

On the site visit, we looked at the records for the service including two people's care and support plans, risk assessments, training information, staff supervision, recruitment records, audits and quality assurance reports.

We spoke to the Registered manager and three support workers. We also observe daily life for people who lived at the service.

Updated 9 August 2019

About the service: Care Management Group is a supported living service providing personal care and support to people with a learning disability or a mental health condition in their own homes.

Bales Court is a supported living service where people live in their own home and receive care and support to enable people to 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 has 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.

There was a registered manager in post who was responsible for the day-to-day running of 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.

People’s experience of using this service:

¿People were cared for by staff who knew how to keep them safe. Staff were trained and knew how to recognise and report abuse. They understood how to report any concerns and were confident that allegations would be investigated to help ensure people were protected.

¿Staff were recruited safely there were enough numbers to meet people's needs.

¿Staff were supported by a system of induction, training, one-to-one supervision and appraisals

¿ People were supported by a stable and consistent staff team who knew them well and had received training specific to meet their needs.

¿ Staff told us they got to know people well and always sought their consent before delivering care. Staff knew how to apply the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) law. They understood the law was a legal framework for making decisions on behalf of people who may lack the mental capacity to do so for themselves.

¿ Care plans included clear objectives and goals. Care plans were up to date and accurately reflected individual needs and wishes. The service's risk assessment procedures were designed to enable people to take risks while providing appropriate protection.

¿ Staff understood how to care for people in ways that ensured their dignity and privacy was promoted.

¿ The service offered flexible support to people to meet people's needs and support them as they wanted.

¿ People took part in a range of activities, based on their hobbies and interests.

¿ The service had good community links and had several initiatives with local churches and community venues.

¿ Staff spoke very positively about the registered manager and felt able to raise concerns and

were confident these would be addressed.

¿ The registered manager was open, transparent and very person centred in the way they ran the service.

Rating at last inspection: At the last inspection, in October 2016 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating of the service at the last inspection

Follow up: We will continue to monitor information and intelligence we receive about the service to ensure good quality is provided to people. We will return to re-inspect in line with our inspection timescales for Requires Improvement services.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk