Background to this inspection
Updated
28 June 2018
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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.
We gave the service 5 days’ notice of the inspection because we needed to be sure that the people and staff would be free to speak with us. The inspection was carried out by two adult social care Inspectors.
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Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service in order to plan for our inspection. This included the notifications we had received from the provider. Notifications are changes, events or incidents the provider is legally required to let the Commission know about.
We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
We spoke with 6 people who lived at the home. We interviewed eight members of staff. We spoke to five locality managers, and seven support staff. We were also assisted during our inspection by the senior manager for the service.
We received email feedback from five relatives and one healthcare professional.
We looked at the care of three people this included their care records , medicines records and risk assessments. We also looked at records that related to how the service was being run as well as the quality monitoring systems in place.
Updated
28 June 2018
The inspection took place on the 18, 24 and 25 May 2018 and was announced. At the last comprehensive inspection in February 2016 improvements were needed in relation to staff supervision. This was because the service was not always supervising staff in accordance with the provider’s own policy. At this inspection we found improvements had been made. Staff were now consistently supervised and properly supported in their work.
This service provides care and support to people living in 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.
The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion.
There were nine registered managers for the service. Each registered manager was known as locality manager. They also managed between two and three other locations run by the organisation. 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 continued to be protected because the risks they may face of abuse were minimised. This was due to the provider having suitable systems in place to keep people safe. Staff were trained to understand what abuse was. The staff also knew how to report any concerns if they ever had them.
People were protected from unsuitable staff by recruitment procedures in place that were robust. These aimed to ensure that people who used the service were kept safe from the unsuitable staff being employed.
Staff had a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They knew these included seeking people’s consent before care was offered.
When people did not have capacity to consent to their care or make decisions about some aspects of their care, this had been managed in line with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).
People told us they were supported by caring, friendly and kind staff. People were also well supported to make choices about how they lived their lives.
People's health and wellbeing needs were promoted, and they were supported to use other health and social care services when needed. People's needs had been assessed, and care plans took account of their individual needs, preferences, and choices.
People told us they enjoyed varied and fulfilled lives. They also said they were given opportunities to pursue their hobbies and interests.
People’s views were heard because the provider had a formal process for handling complaints and receiving feedback. Staff encouraged feedback from people who used the service and their relatives. They acted on the comments received to improve the quality of the service.
The provider's quality monitoring processes had been used effectively to drive continuous improvement. For example changes in the deployment of staff to support people, as well as changes to support plans were put in place after recent quality audits.
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