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  • Homecare service

Archived: Domiciliary Care Agency Riverside

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Unit K Austin Way, Hamstead, Birmingham, West Midlands, B42 1DU (0121) 357 4661

Provided and run by:
Select Lifestyles Limited

Important: This service is now registered at a different address - see new profile

All Inspections

9 and 10 September 2015

During a routine inspection

The inspection took place on 9 and 10 September 2015 and was announced. We gave the provider 48 hours’ notice that we would be visiting the service. This was because we wanted to make sure staff would be available to answer any questions we had or provide information that we needed. We also wanted the registered manager to ask people who used the service if we could visit them in their homes. At our last inspection on 2 January 2014 the service was meeting all of the regulations that we assessed.

The service is registered to provide personal care and support to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection the service was providing support and personal care to 29 people who were living in their own homes within four ‘supported living’ facilities within the community. Supported living enables people who need personal or social support to live in their own home supported by care staff instead of living in a care home or with family. The levels of support people received from the service varied, according to their assessed needs and levels of independence. Each supported living facility had their own communal area and an office for staff to use as a base.

A registered manager was employed at the service. 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 were supported by staff who had received training in how to recognise possible signs of abuse and how to report any concerns. Staff were aware of their responsibilities in this area and what actions they should take. All staff spoken with were confident that if they had to raise any concerns that they would be acted upon and dealt with appropriately.

Where recent concerns had been raised, we saw that lessons had been learnt and actions taken to ensure that people were kept safe from harm.

Staff were recruited appropriately and there were sufficient numbers to meet people’s needs. Staff had received induction training when they first started work and ongoing training was in place in order to develop their skills and ensure they had the skills to meet the needs of the people they supported.

People were supported to live their lives in the least restrictive way possible, staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act [MCA] and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards [DoLS], and what it meant for the people they supported.

People were supported with their nutrition and health care needs.

People told us that the staff who supported them were kind and caring and they spoke warmly of the staff and management. Staff enjoyed their role and the feedback they received from the people they supported.

Efforts were made to ensure that the staff who supported people were well matched with them. Prior to people moving into their new homes, detailed transition plans were in place to ensure the process was as smooth as possible.

People were involved in developing how they wanted to be supported and were encouraged to be as independent as possible and achieve their aspirations.

People were confident that if they had any concerns, they would be dealt with appropriately. We saw where complaints had been raised they had been responded to and lessons learnt, but recording of this was not always consistent.

The registered manager and staff group were described as supportive and approachable. Following recent concerns, lessons had been learnt and additional monitoring of the service had been put in place to ensure the quality of the service people received.

2 January 2014

During a routine inspection

On the day of our visit no one knew we would be visiting. We were unable to speak to people using the service because of their limited verbal skills. We visited people where they lived and observed their care. We spoke to two relatives, two staff, the deputy manager and the manager.

The people supported by the service had learning disability care needs. We looked at records of people who used the service and the personal files of staff caring for them.

All the staff we spoke to was able to tell us about people's needs so that they received care in a way that they preferred. One relative said, 'The care and support is fantastic.'

We saw that systems were in place to keep people safe from harm. A relative told us, 'I can go out and know X is in safe hands.' Staff received a range of training to support the people who used the service.

There were systems in place to monitor how the service was run to ensure people received a quality service.

Information was available in different formats, to support people and their relatives to complain or raise concerns if they wished to.

28 February 2013

During a routine inspection

On the day of our visit no one knew we would be visiting. We were unable to speak to people using the service because of their limited verbal skills so we spoke to three relatives, three staff, the manager and the operations director.

The people supported by the service had learning disability care needs. We looked at records of people receiving services and the personal files of staff caring for them.

Staff we spoke to was able to tell us about people's needs so that they received care in a way that they preferred. One relative said, 'When X is getting the right care and support X smiles a lot and they now smile a lot.'

Relatives told us they were kept informed about their relative's health so they felt involved in their care. One relative said 'The staff keep in touch with me quite a bit.'

We saw that systems were in place to keep people safe from harm. A relative told us, 'I know they are safe.' Staff received a range of training to support the people who used the service. There were systems in place to monitor how the service was run to ensure people received a quality service.