Archived: MacIntyre Hampshire Supported Living

MacIntyre Hampshire Supported Living provides care and support to people living in 15 different 'supported living' settings, so that they can live in their own home as independently as possible. People's care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living. This inspection looked at people's personal care and support.

At the time of the inspection the service was supporting 37 people with their personal care needs. The service supported people living with learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorder, physical disability, sensory impairment, older people and younger adults. The levels of support provided varied. Some people had complex health and social care needs and required 24-hour care, whilst others received support from an outreach service.

At the time of the inspection the service had 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. The registered manager was supported by seven front line managers who were referred to as heads of service.

People were consistently protected from avoidable harm, neglect, abuse and discrimination. Staff ensured the human rights of people who lacked a voice, were upheld and respected.

Risks to people's safety had been identified and management plans gave staff the required guidance to mitigate these risks. Staff delivered safe care in line with people’s risk assessments.

Regular staffing needs analyses ensured there were always enough suitable staff deployed, with the right mix of skills to deliver care and support to meet people’s needs safely. Staff underwent robust pre- employment checks to assess their suitability to support people using the service.

People received their prescribed medicines consistently and safely, from staff who had been trained and had their competency to do so assessed regularly. Staff supported people to maintain high standards of cleanliness and hygiene in their homes, which reduced the risk of infection.

The provider enabled staff to develop and maintain the required skills to meet people’s needs. Staff applied their learning effectively in accordance with best practice, which led to good outcomes for people’s care and support and promoted their quality of life.

People were supported to have enough to eat and drink to protect them from the risks associated with malnutrition. Where required people were supported to eat and drink safely to avoid the risk of choking. Staff understood the importance of food safety and prepared and handled food in accordance with required standards.

The service had clear systems and processes for referring people to external healthcare services, which were applied consistently, and had a clear strategy to maintain continuity of care and support when people transferred services.

People and relatives were involved in decisions about their health and encouraged to make choices, in line with best interest decision-making. People’s human rights were consistently protected by staff who understood the need to seek lawful consent and followed the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) legislation and guidance.

People were treated with kindness and compassion by staff who supported people to express their views and be actively involved in making decisions about their care as far as possible. Staff noticed when people were in discomfort or distress and took swift action to provide the necessary care and reassurance. People were consistently treated with dignity and respect and without discrimination.

People had the opportunity to give feedback about their experiences and knew how to raise any concerns or make a complaint. The registered manager used the learning from complaints and concerns to drive improvement in the service.

Staff sought accessible ways to communicate with people when their protected and other characteristics under the Equality Act made this necessary to reduce or remove barriers. People’s protected characteristics were taken into consideration when developing their care plans.

People were provided with the opportunity to discuss and record any advanced decisions and end of life wishes.

The service was consistently well-managed and led. The provider had a clear vision for all people with a learning disability to live a life that makes sense to them, an ethos which staff had embraced in their day to day care delivery.

Quality assurance arrangements were robust and identified potential concerns and areas for improvement. The provider’s systems effectively managed identified risks to the quality of the service.

The registered manager and staff had a clear understanding of equality, diversity and human rights, and they prioritised safe, high-quality, compassionate care.

The service had a collaborative approach to working with other stakeholders and organisations to improve care practice and outcomes.