Background to this inspection
Updated
20 January 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.’
This was announced inspection which took place on 28 October 2015 by one inspector.
The provider was given 48 hours’ notice of our intention to undertake an inspection. This was because the location provides a range of services to children with disabilities living with their family home and or taking children out in to the community to participate in different activities. We needed to be sure that someone would be available at the office.
We looked at the information we held about the provider and this service, such as incidents, unexpected deaths or injuries to children receiving care, this also included any safeguarding matters. We refer to these as notifications and providers are required to notify the Care Quality Commission about these events.
The provider had completed a Provider information Return form (PIR. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
We spoke with five parents whose children used the service, five support workers, one care co-coordinator, a service ambassador, registered manager and the area director of children’s services.
We looked at the care records for two children including, medicine records, two staff recruitment files, training records and other records relevant to the quality monitoring of the service.
Updated
20 January 2016
We undertook an announced inspection on 28 October 2015. We gave the registered manager 48 hours’ notice of our intention to undertake an inspection. This was because the organisation provides a range of services to children with disabilities in their family home and or taking the children out in to the community to participate in different activities. We needed to be sure that someone would be available at the office.
The provider registered this service with us to provide personal care and support for children with disabilities. At the time of our inspection 16 children received care and support services.
There was a registered manager 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.’
Children who used the service were safe .There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff, who had a good understanding of protecting children from the risk of abuse and harm and their responsibilities to report suspected abuse. Emergency medicines were administered by support staff that had received training to do this. The provider had procedures in place to check that children received their medicines as prescribed to effectively and safely meet their health needs.
Support staff had been recruited following appropriate checks on their suitability to support children in their homes and out in the community activities to keep them safe.
Parents told us they received reliable care from a regular team of staff who understood their child’s likes, dislikes and preferences for care and support.
Parent’s consent was sought and they were consulted in the care planning and review process for their child’s support. The provider demonstrated that they worked in partnership with other agencies, including health professionals, social services and special schools in order to provide the best outcomes for the child. Children were encouraged to choose their activities and the service was responsive to their requests.
Staff had received training in food hygiene and specialist feeding techniques to ensure the children were kept healthy and not put at risk of choking. The provider had been involved with health and social care agencies for training and advice on the use of specialist equipment and mobility advice to keep the children and staff safe.
Parents who used this service told us their child was happy, and the service had made a positive impact on their lives. Staff were caring and showed a genuine warmth and commitment to the children and the families they supported.
Parents and children were encouraged to share their opinions about the quality of the service, through reviews, telephone contact and customer satisfaction questionnaires.
Leadership at the service was open and transparent at all levels. Staff were encouraged to share any ideas or concerns about the service to shape future development for the benefit of children who used the service. Management reviewed and standards of the quality of the service and strived for continuous improvement.