Sense- Community Services and Supported Living Services (North)

Updated 10 January 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

This service also provides care and support to people living in 5 ‘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.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave a short period notice of the inspection because some of the people using it could not consent to a home visit from an inspector. This meant that we had to arrange for a ‘best interests’ decision about this.

What we did before the 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 8 members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager, operations manager and support workers. We received 5 email responses from support workers, following requests for feedback. We met 6 people who used the service and spoke with 7 relatives. We reviewed 5 support plans and supporting documentation and multiple medication records. We looked at 4 staff recruitment files and a variety of management records.

Updated 10 January 2023

About the service

Sense Community Services and Supported Living Services (North) is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in supported living services in Rotherham and Sheffield. At the time of our inspection there were 11 people using the service.

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

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.

Right Support

Risks associated with people’s care had not always been documented to ensure staff followed steps to keep people safe. The registered manager took timely action to ensure assessments were completed for all risks. People predominantly received their medicines as prescribed, however, we found some minor discrepancies which were addressed following our inspection.

Accidents and incidents were monitored and analysed to mitigate future occurrences. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People had access to outside space, and this had been designed to meet their needs. People were supported to maintain a clean environment with assistance from the staff team.

Right Care

People received support from staff who knew them well and understood their needs and considered their preferences. Staff interacted well with people and had a caring and respectful approach.

We found healthcare professionals had been referred to appropriately and staff ensured their advice was followed.

Right Culture

Overarching governance systems included a series of audits which checked areas such as medication management, infection control and care planning. Action plans were used to develop and improve the service. However, some issues identified during the inspection had not previously been highlighted. Management systems needed to be strengthened to ensure consistency throughout all supported living services.

People were supported to lead lives that were person-centred and inclusive. People were involved in planning their support and deciding how they wanted to support them to meet their outcomes and achieve their goals.

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 29 September 2021 and this is the first inspection.

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was requires improvement published on 20 September 2019.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Enforcement

We have identified a breach in relation to regulation 12 safe care and treatment at this inspection.

You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.