Background to this inspection
Updated
24 August 2016
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.
Prior to our inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included the Provider Information Return (PIR) which is a form that asks the provider to give key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed any safeguarding alerts and outcomes, complaints, previous inspection reports and notifications that the provider had sent to CQC. Notifications are information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law.
The inspection took place on the 22 & 28 June and 15 July 2016. Our first visit was unannounced. This inspection was undertaken by one inspector.
We spent the first two days at the office of the care service. We met with a registered manager and two other staff members. We looked at records held in the office relating to people’s support and the day to day running of the service. These included support plans, risk assessments, policy and procedures, recruitment records and quality assurance audits.
On the third day of the inspection we visited three people in their homes and spoke to them about the service and the care they received. We were also able to speak to six members of staff and observe some of the support being provided.
Updated
24 August 2016
The inspection took place on the 22 & 28 June and 15 July 2016. Our first visit was unannounced. At our last inspection in October 2013 the provider met the regulations we inspected.
The Regard Partnership Limited - London Region Office is registered to provide personal care and support to people living in their own homes and in supported living premises. The people using the service may have learning or physical disabilities, mental health needs or acquired brain injuries. The service supports some people on a 24 hour basis and others at designated times during the day and night.
The service had three registered managers 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 using the service told us they felt safe and that care staff treated them with dignity and respect. They were happy with the support provided which met their individual needs.
The service empowered people to take control of their care and support and make decisions about how the service was run. People were supported to plan and achieve their personal goals including building their independent living skills. Staff said, and we saw that, the services were focused on putting people in control of their care.
People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff who were trained and well supported in their job roles. Staff members had been safely recruited, had access to regular training and supervision and felt well supported by the management team. The staff said they felt valued by the organisation.
Medicines were administered in a safe way. Staff received training and a competency framework was in place to make sure they understood and followed safe procedures for administering medicines.
Staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and understood the importance of gaining people’s consent before assisting them.
People were actively involved in the running of the service with their opinions sought through regular reviews and meetings with their keyworker, house meetings and surveys. We saw their views were used to make positive changes to the service.
People felt able to raise any concerns or complaints. There was a procedure in place for people to follow if they wanted to raise any issues. Staff also said they felt comfortable in raising any concerns should they have any.
A range of audits and checks were undertaken by senior staff and the registered managers to help ensure the service worked to a consistently high standard and to drive further improvement where necessary.