Archived: Barnardo's Disability and Inclusion Support Service

Updated 10 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.

Inspection activity started on 29 May and ended on 6 June 2019. We visited the office location on 29 and 31 May 2019. We attended the Young People's Forum on 3 June to speak to children and young people who used the service.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to children and young people who are living in their family home or in the community.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

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. 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 four young people who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eight members of staff including the registered manager, project workers who line managed care staff and care staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records. We looked at four 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.

Updated 10 July 2019

About the service

Barnardo's Disability and Inclusion Support Service provides a short breaks service for children, young people and their families. Children and young people who used the service have additional learning needs. At the time of our inspection they were providing support to 36 children and young people, 17 of whom required personal care.

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. Children and young people using the service receive 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

Feedback from children, young people and their relatives showed they had experienced significantly high standards of care. Each member of staff demonstrated that they were exceptionally caring. Everyone who used the service benefitted significantly. Staff were very sensitive to equality and diversity issues.

Children and Young people who attended the Young People’s Forum were very positive about the support they had received from the service. They found the service had a very positive impact on them.

Children, young people and their families found the service to be safe. Systems and processes were in place to ensure personal risks were well-managed. Staff had undergone a thorough recruitment process. They had a good understanding about safeguarding issues and how to ensure children and young people were protected from harm.

Children and young 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.

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 were supported through regular supervision. Staff demonstrated that they were well trained and had the knowledge to care for each young person. They understood the use of care plans which were regularly reviewed and updated.

The service continued to be well-led by a registered manager who was responsive to any concerns and complaints. The service had a culture of continuous learning. Effective arrangements were in place to monitor the quality of the service and staff performance.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (Last report published 17 January 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit in line with our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.