Updated 28 February 2020
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 Care Act 2014.
Inspection team: The inspection was carried out by one inspector over two days.
Service and service type
This service provides care and support to people living in two ‘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.
The service had five homes in two separate towns in Oxfordshire. People’s homes had been adapted to meet their needs and they had access to local amenities and transport. Each supported living address had a separate office and communal area where people could meet up if they wished.
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
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection. Inspection activity started on 28 January 2020 and ended on 29 January 2020. We visited the office location on both dates.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since they registered with the Care Quality Commission. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with four people who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with three members of staff including the registered manager and two support workers. We also spoke with two professionals who regularly visit the service.
We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.