Archived: NAS Community Service (North Yorkshire)

Updated 28 September 2015

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check 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 17 August 2015 and was announced. The provider was given 24 hours’ notice because the location provides a domiciliary care service and we needed to be sure that someone would be in. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included notifications regarding safeguarding, accidents and changes which the provider had informed us about. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. We also looked at previous inspection reports. The provider had submitted a Provider Information Record (PIR) before the inspection. The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During this inspection we visited the office in Thirsk and went to a Supported Living Service in Northallerton. Because people who used the service had complex needs they were not able to tell us about their experiences. We looked at records which related to people’s individual care. We looked at two people’s care planning documentation and other records associated with running a community care service. This included four recruitment records, the staff rota, notifications and records of meetings.

During the visit we met with one person who used the service, as well as a member of staff, the deputy manager and registered manager. Following the visit we sought further feedback and we spoke with another two members of staff and two relatives over the phone.

Updated 28 September 2015

This inspection took place on 17 August 2015 and was announced.

The National Autistic Society supports people on the Autistic spectrum, including people with Asperger’s Syndrome and similar conditions. NAS Community Service (North Yorkshire) provides services under the regulated activity of ‘personal care’. The service is provided to people who live in ‘supported living’ houses in Northallerton or Thirsk and who require assistance with personal care. The aim of supported living is to encourage people to live in the community with support from staff. At the time of our inspection, two people made use of the service.

There was a registered manager in post. 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 who used the service were kept safe. Staff knew what to do and who to contact if they thought anyone was at risk of harm. Risks to individuals had been identified and plans were in place to make sure risks were kept to a minimum. Where people needed their medicines to be administered by staff, there were clear procedures in place to make sure administration was carried out safely.

There were enough staff, of suitable skill and character to make sure people’s needs were met. Before new staff started work the provider carried out proper checks to make sure they were fit to work at the service. Staff were able to attend training that provided them with skills and knowledge to carry out their roles effectively.

Staff had a good understanding of the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). DoLS are safeguards put in place to protect people where their freedom of movement is restricted. Appropriate action had been taken to make sure legal requirements were followed where restriction on a person’s movement was a concern.

People received the support they needed with their personal care. Where people had particular health needs there was clear information about the support people required. Staff were aware of individual preferences and how best to assist people in the way they wanted. They demonstrated a caring and warmth in the way they discussed the people they supported. People had regular reviews of their care and support to make sure any changes in needs were identified and acted on.

The registered manager had been in post since April 2015. They had a good overview of the service and had identified areas that needed to be improved. In particular there had been a number of changes in management over the last few years and this had affected staff morale. The registered manager was keen to provide a consistent and open management style.