19 and 20 August 2014
During a routine inspection
Care UK Learning Disabilities Services Doncaster provides support to approximately 150 older people and younger adults with a learning disability in their own homes in the Doncaster area.
The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and shares the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law, as does the provider.
We visited the service on the 19 and 20 August 2014. The inspection was unannounced and the inspection visit was carried out over two days.
The registered manager explained that Care UK had taken over the running of the service from the previous service provider just over a year ago and staff who worked in the service had transferred to Care UK. A number of staff were not satisfied with the new arrangements regarding their pay, terms and conditions and had been taking strike action. This had affected around 12 weeks during the 12 months since Care UK had taken over.
We found that most support staff were aware of people’s needs because they had access to people’s care plans in their homes and because they usually worked with the same people. However, the strike action meant that people did not always receive care from workers who were familiar with their needs. Therefore, it was important that people’s care plans were up to date. However, we found there were gaps in some people’s care plans. This required improvement to make sure each person who used the service was protected against the risks of receiving care or treatment that is inappropriate or unsafe.
People who used the service told us they felt safe. They knew who to contact at the service if they had any concerns about their safety or wished to raise a concern. Staff had received training in safeguarding adults and the staff we spoke with knew how to recognise abuse. They also knew what action to take if they suspected a person who used the service was at risk of harm.
People were satisfied with the quality of care they received and told us the care they received met their needs. They were supported to have access to healthcare professionals, such as GPs, dentists and chiropodists to maintain their health. People were supported to have good nutrition and told us they were supported to prepared their meals in the way they preferred.
People felt their support staff were caring. Support staff told us they were supported by the management team to care for people effectively. We saw confirmation that support staff received the training they needed, although some staffs’ supervision had fallen behind, due to pressure on the managers to make sure people received the service during periods of strike action.
Support staff had been recruited using a thorough recruitment process and appropriate checks were carried out before they were allowed to work with people who used the service. This helped to minimise the risk of people being cared for by staff who were unsuitable for the role.
People were involved in their care planning. Care plans had information on how people wanted to be supported and detailed how their care should be delivered. People told us the service provided care and support that met their individual needs. People with particular health needs were cared for by staff who had received training specifically to meet their particular health needs.
People told us their support staff were caring and helped them to be as independent as they could. People were supported to express their views, which were taken into account in developing the service.
We found the service was well managed. This was also the view of support staff who told us they were supported by the management team to carry out their role effectively.