Background to this inspection
Updated
21 June 2022
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
Two inspectors carried out the inspection.
Service and service type
This service provides care and support to people living in three ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live 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 service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the settings are small, and people may have been out, and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home.
Inspection activity started on 21 April 2022 and ended on 3 May 2022. We visited the office location on 3 May 2022.
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 (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with all three people who used the service and spoke with their relatives. We spoke with three support staff, the registered manager and the Positive Behaviour Support lead practitioner. We spoke with one advocate and one social care professional over the telephone. We contacted 10 more staff via email, and five more health and social care professionals via email.
We reviewed a range of records. This included each person’s care records and samples of medication records. We looked at two staff files. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including auditing, training data, policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.
Updated
21 June 2022
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
About the service
Positive Support For You is a ‘supported living’ service providing personal care to people with complex needs living in bungalows in ‘supported living’ settings. The service was supporting three people with personal care at the time of our inspection.
Not 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. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Right Support
¿ Staff supported people to pursue their interests and achieve their aspirations and goals. People left their homes regularly in their cars and enjoyed spending time how they wanted.
¿ People were supported to upkeep their homes and to develop skills.
¿ People were supported to access specialist health and social care support. They had experienced good health and wellbeing outcomes as a result.
¿ Staff worked hard to ensure people were not unnecessarily restricted. The service’s reliance on and commitment to Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) meant people experienced improved health and wellbeing outcomes. PBS is a person-centred framework for providing support to people with a learning disability, and/or autism, including those with mental health conditions, who have, or may be at risk of developing, behaviours that challenge.
¿ Staff supported people to take their medicines in their preferred way.
¿ People had been supported to personalise their homes with photographs and favourite items.
Right Care
¿ The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs. People were safe and protected from social isolation. They followed their own interests at their own pace.
¿ Staff understood people’s individual ways of communicating such as using body language or sounds.
¿ People’s support plans and risk assessments reflected their preferences and needs.
¿ People received kind, patient and compassionate care. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity.
¿ Staff worked well with other agencies to protect people from risks. Staff had relevant training on safeguarding and how to recognise and report abuse.
Right culture
¿ People were supported to lead empowered lives. The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the management and staff were in line with the key principles of guidance such as Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture and STOMP (Stopping over medication of people with a learning disability, autism, or both). Staff felt well supported by the provider and could raise any issues.
¿ Audits and analysis of core information took place regularly and contributed to improvements in practice and outcomes for people.
¿ People and those important to them were involved in planning their care. Care plans were reviewed regularly.
¿ Staff knew people extremely well and were responsive to their support needs.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 18 February 2021 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of Right support, Right care, Right culture. This was a planned inspection based on when the service first registered with us.
Follow up
We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.