HF Trust - Cornwall DCA

Updated 6 March 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team: The inspection was carried out by one adult care inspector.

Service and service type: HF Trust – Cornwall DCA is a supported living service for people with a learning disability. There were five supported living settings where people were receiving personal care, two in the St Austell area and three in Wadebridge. Four of the settings were based in small houses and one was in a building which contained self contained flats for one or two occupants. Each of the settings had a sleep in room for staff. General administration was carried out at the HF Trust office in Wadebridge.

The service had three managers registered with the Care Quality Commission. Registered managers and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. One of the registered managers had responsibility for overseeing a supported living service for people who did not require personal care and so we did not need to speak with them as part of this inspection.

Notice of inspection: We gave the service notice of the inspection visit in line with our methodology for inspecting this type of service.

Inspection site visit activity started on 6 February 2019 and ended on 7 February 2019. We visited the office location on 6 February 2019 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures. We visited people in their homes on 6 and 7 February 2019.

What we did: Before the inspection, we reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse and accident and incidents. The provider completed a 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 used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection, we met with five people who used the service. We spoke with the senior regional manager, two registered managers and five support workers.

Updated 6 March 2019

About the service: HF Trust – Cornwall DCA provides care and support to people living in ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. The service’s office is based in Wadebridge and the supported living settings for people receiving personal care are in St Austell and Wadebridge. 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. On the day of the inspection 17 people who needed support with personal care were using the service.

People’s experience of using this service: People were supported to develop and maintain their independence and have choice and control over their daily lives. Staff supported people according to their individual preferences and needs. There was a drive to deliver person centred care which focused on getting the best outcomes possible for people.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support in the following ways; independence, choice and control over day to day routines and inclusion and involvement in the local community. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and develop and maintain their independence.

People were supported in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff told us they were well supported through supervision and staff meetings. They commented on the availability of registered managers for support, advice and guidance at all times. Training covered a wide range of areas and was regularly refreshed. Staff were able to request additional training to meet people’s specific needs.

Where restrictions had been put in place to keep people safe this had been done in line with the requirements of the legislation as laid out in the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Any restrictive practices were clearly recorded and regularly reviewed to check they were still necessary and proportionate.

People were involved in planning their care and decisions about how care was delivered. Easy read information was provided to help people make informed decisions. Where necessary other supporting information was provided such as visual and audio materials. We observed people were in charge of their routines and were able to request support when they needed it.

The service was exceptionally well-led. Staff told us they enjoyed working at the service and that HF Trust was an excellent organisation to work for. Staff were encouraged to develop their skills and contribute to the running of the service. The registered managers were enthusiastic and keen to share their experiences with us. They had high expectations for people and this was shared with the staff team.

At our previous inspection the service was rated Good. (Report published 27 September 2016)

Why we inspected: This inspection was part of our scheduled plan of visiting services to check the safety and quality of care people received.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people receive safe, compassionate, high quality care. Further inspections will be planned based on the rating. If we receive any concerns we may bring our inspection forward.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk