Social Care Solutions Ltd (Bedfordshire)

Updated 11 January 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by three inspectors, a member of the CQC medicines team and two Experts by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in 12 ‘supported living’ settings, 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.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there were two registered managers in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 14 November 2022 and ended on 29 November 2022. We visited the location’s office on 14 November 2022 and three of the services on 22, 23 and 25 November 2022.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We observed and spoke with 6 people and 12 relatives. We spoke with 23 staff including the registered managers, the office manager and care staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 12 people’s care records and nine people's medication records. We looked at 5 staff files in relation to recruitment, training and supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service including audits, policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 11 January 2023

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Social Care Solutions Ltd (Bedford & Northampton) is a supported living service providing personal care for adults with learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorders, dementia, physical disabilities and sensory impairments.

Not everyone using the service received a 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. At the time of this inspection the service was supporting 47 people, of these, 28 people were receiving personal care.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Right Support:

People were supported in goal planning. However, this required further development to ensure records consistently captured the steps required to achieve an agreed goal and the progress made by people.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff understood the importance of providing respectful care which was person centred and tailored to individual’s needs.

Staff had received training and applied their skills and understanding to provide safe care. Additional specialist training was provided to staff to enhance their knowledge and raise awareness of people’s medical conditions.

Right Care:

People had risk assessments and care plans in place. However, some of these required updating to ensure the information was accurate and reflective of people’s current needs.

Staffing levels were improving, and recruitment continued to take place. Where required agency staff complimented the staff team to maintain safe staffing levels. The provider block booked agency staff to support continuity of care.

Right Culture:

The quality assurance system had been reviewed and new processes implemented. This required time to embed to ensure it was robust in identifying and addressing shortfalls of the service.

We received mixed feedback from relatives about the registered managers. Many of the relatives we spoke with were not aware of the registered managers names but recognised the scheme managers whom they communicated with where required.

Staff told us a newly recruited registered manager was approachable. Comments we received from staff included, “[Registered manager] is amazing. They make time for people and staff always.” And, “The new registered manager is definitely approachable. I now feel confident and able to raise concerns and know I will be listened to.”

Staff were passionate and enthusiastic in their role. Comments we received from staff included, “Knowing I have made a difference to a person makes me feel accomplished.” And, “It is rewarding to support somebody achieve things in their everyday life. Seeing a person smile makes my day.”

The provider recognised when people’s needs changed and made timely referrals to external professionals to ensure appropriate care and support was in place.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 12 August 2021) and there were breaches in regulations. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about the management and leadership of the service. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. Please see the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led sections of this full report.

The overall rating for the service has remained requires improvement based on the findings of this inspection.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the Safe, Responsive and Well-led sections of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Social Care Solutions Ltd (Bedford & Northampton) on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.