Background to this inspection
Updated
13 July 2019
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.
Service and service type
This service provides care and support to people living in supported living settings, so they can live as independently as possible. Each person had their own accommodation in the community. 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 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.
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before the 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. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with two people who used the service and one relative about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff including the registered manager, and support workers.
We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and two people’s medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including training data, quality assurance records and policies and procedures were reviewed. We received feedback from three professionals working with the service.
Updated
13 July 2019
About the service
Long Stratton Supported Living is a supported living service. The service supports people to live in their own home as independently as possible. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of inspection, the regulated service was supporting four people with Learning Disabilities.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service lived in their own homes within the local community. They received planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence. The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
Staff understood how to keep people safe from abuse and they understood how to manage risks. People received their medicines as they were prescribed. The service had systems in place to monitor incidents and accidents to prevent things going wrong again in the future.
People’s needs were holistically assessed. Staff received the training they needed to deliver care in a person-centred way. People were supported to eat and drink in a way that helped maintain their independence. The service worked with health professionals to ensure people had access to healthcare. The service was focussed on making sure 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.
People were supported by staff who were kind and caring and spent time getting to know them. People were supported to be involved in their care in a way that promoted independence and maintained privacy and dignity.
The service was responsive to people’s individual needs. Support staff knew people well and could quickly identify any changing needs. The service had systems in place to meet people’s different communication needs. People were supported to pursue hobbies and interests and to be part of their local community.
People and staff were very positive about the managers in the service. Managers were seen as approachable. They listened and responded to people’s concerns. There were robust systems in place to monitor and improve quality. The service worked closely with other organisations and professionals to enhance outcomes for people.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.
The last rating for this service was good (published 6 December 2016).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.