We carried out a review of the data available to us about YourLife (Bentley Heath) on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about YourLife (Bentley Heath), you can give feedback on this service.
Your Life (Bentley Heath) provides domiciliary care support for people living in their own flats on the outskirts of Solihull. It provides a service to older people, people living with dementia, people with physical disabilities and people with sensory impairments. At the time of our visit, the service was providing personal care to 14 people.
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.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
A registered manager was in post and had been for around six weeks. They had worked at the service previously. They were currently being supported by the area manager, who was the registered manager at the time of our last visit.
People told us staff were exceptionally caring and went out of their way to ensure they were supported with the upmost dignity and respect. Staff were clearly passionate about their role and people receiving support felt they were given care that was ‘second to none’. Promoting independence was encouraged and people were supported to improve their daily life skills.
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; systems supported this practice.
People using the service felt safe. Where risks to people’s health and wellbeing were identified, plans were in place to manage those risks while encouraging people to remain independent.
Staff understood their responsibilities around safeguarding people and knew how to report concerns. There were enough staff to keep people safe and respond to people’s changing needs.
People’s needs were met by staff who had relevant skills and ongoing training. People were supported to access appropriate healthcare services when necessary to maintain health and wellbeing.
People and their families were involved in planning and agreeing what care and support they needed. The service was responsive to the individual needs of people which considered reducing social isolation where possible.
People and staff felt the service was well led. The provided had governance systems in place to monitor quality and safety. The registered manager was exploring further ways to involve people and staff in running the service.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The service was rated as Good (published 28 February 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 as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
YourLife (Bentley Heath) is a service which provides personal care support to older people in their own homes. All of the people supported live in the same building, and the care service is based on site as part of an assisted living environment. At the time of our inspection visit, six people used the service and they were referred to as ‘homeowners.’ Two people who used the service were in hospital at the time of our inspection visit.
The service has a registered manager. 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. A registered manager was in place and had been since October 2015 when the service started.
People told us they felt safe using the service because care workers were skilled and knowledgeable, and knew how to care for them well. Care workers had a good understanding of what constituted abuse and who to contact if safeguarding concerns were raised.
Checks were carried out prior to care workers starting work to ensure their suitability to work with people who used the service. Care workers received an induction to the organisation, and a programme of training to support them in meeting people’s needs effectively.
Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005), and the registered manager understood the actions to take if they were concerned people were being deprived of their liberty.
People who required support had enough to eat and drink during the day and were assisted to manage their health needs. Care workers referred people to other professionals if they had any concerns.
People had consistent staff they were familiar with and who provided support as outlined in their care plans. Following some recent recruitment, there were enough staff to care for people they supported and bank staff were used when required.
People told us care workers were kind and caring and had the right skills and experience to provide the care they required. People were supported with dignity and respect. Care workers encouraged people to be independent and the focus of the service was to develop people’s skills and confidence further.
Care plans contained detailed, relevant information for care workers to help them provide personalised care including processes to minimise risks to people’s safety. People received their medicines when required from staff trained to administer them.
People knew how to complain and had opportunities to share their views and opinions about the service they received. This was through regular review meetings, homeowner meetings and also surveys.
Care workers were confident they could raise any concerns or issues with the registered manager knowing they would be listened to and acted on. People and staff told us the management team were effective and approachable.
The management team gave care workers formal opportunities to discuss any issues or raise concerns with them. There were some processes to monitor the quality of the service provided. These checks and audits ensured care workers worked in line with policies and procedures.