YourLife (Lancaster)

Updated 18 July 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 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 inspection took place on 31 May 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection team comprised of one adult social care inspector.

Before the inspection visit we contacted the commissioning department at Lancashire County Council. In addition we contacted Healthwatch Lancashire. Healthwatch Lancashire is an independent consumer champion for health and social care. This helped us to gain a balanced overview of what people experienced accessing the service.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the time of inspection there were six people who used the service. We spoke with a range of people about YourLife (Lancaster). They included two people who used the service, the area manager and three staff members.

We closely examined the care records of four people who used the service. This process is called pathway tracking and enables us to judge how well the service understands and plans to meet people's care needs and manage any risks to people's health and wellbeing.

We reviewed a variety of records, including policies and procedures, safety and quality audits, four staff personnel and training files, records of accidents, complaints records, various service certificates and medicine administration records.

We observed care and support in communal areas and visited two people in their own homes.

Updated 18 July 2018

YourLife (Lancaster) support people to live independently within their own homes and aims to enhance their quality of life by providing personal care services. The service offers individualised care packages on a domiciliary care basis, specifically tailored to a person’s requirements.

This service provides care and support to people living in specialist 'extra care' housing. Extra care housing is purpose-built or adapted single household accommodation in a shared site or building. The accommodation is bought, and is the occupant’s own home. People's care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for extra care housing; this inspection looked at people's personal care and support service.

People using the service lived in ordinary flats in a purpose built assisted or tailored care living development.

Not everyone using YourLife (Lancaster) 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.

The service has recently employed a manager who is not yet registered with the CQC. 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 we spoke with told us they felt safe . We found people were protected from risks associated with their care because the registered provider had completed risk assessments. These provided updated guidance for staff to keep people safe.

We looked at how people were protected from bullying, harassment, avoidable harm and abuse. Systems were used to reduce people being at risk of harm and potential abuse. Staff had received up to date safeguarding training and understood the provider's safeguarding adult’s procedures.

We found medicines management to be safe within the service. Monthly audits were being completed to ensure the safe management of medicines administration. We found protocols for ‘as and when required’ medicines were in place where needed.

We found recruitment to be safe at the service. We looked at how the service was staffed. We did this to make sure there were enough staff on duty at all times to support people in their care. We found that there were enough staff to meet the needs of people who used the service.

We found people are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

We saw evidence people's care and support was delivered in line with legislation and evidence based guidance. We found the service was pro-active in supporting people to have sufficient nutrition and hydration. Care plans showed where appropriate the service had made referrals to health care professionals such as the community nursing team and GP's.

We received consistent positive feedback about care provided at YourLife (Lancaster) from people who used the service. People we spoke with told us, “The staff are friends first and foremost.”

People's beliefs, likes and wishes were recorded within care records and guidance in these records reflected what staff and people told us about their preferences. Each record contained a comprehensive history of each person. This supported staff in developing positive and meaningful relationships with people.

We saw care records were written in a person centred way and we observed staff followed the guidance in care records. People had access to external healthcare professionals to maintain their wellbeing.

The service had lots of activities available within the communal areas that people could get involved with if they wanted to. People told us they were encouraged to raise any concerns or complaints. The service had a complaints procedure.

We found there was no registered manager at the service. We spoke with the area manager about this and were informed that a manager has been employed and they were awaiting pre-employment checks before the manager could commence employment and register.

We saw evidence of a staff meetings being held regularly. These were well attended by staff. The meetings were used to share best practice and facilitate communication.

The management and staff team have been open and transparent in getting us the information and have worked well with the inspection team.