We carried out a review of the data available to us about HF Trust - Sheffield & Derbyshire DCA on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about HF Trust - Sheffield & Derbyshire DCA, you can give feedback on this service.
HF Trust – Sheffield & Derbyshire DCA is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living within single occupancy and shared tenancy accommodation. It provides a service to people with learning disabilities and/or autistic spectrum disorders. At the time of our inspection the service was providing personal care to 54 people.
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.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us “nothing could improve” and “they loved being at HFT [the service].” Relatives told us the staff team “always listen”, “were excellent” and “they had peace of mind.” People’s lives were greatly enhanced by innovative and creative person-centred support that maximised their opportunities for self-development and growth. Staff were passionate about maintaining people’s independence and this was at the core of everything the service did. Staff really cared about making a difference to the people they supported so they could lead the best lives possible.
People were supported and encouraged to lead fulfilling, active lives and to be active citizens within the local and wider community. This had led to people’s aspirations and dreams being realised. Needs were considered and reviewed, and staff responded quickly to any change in need. People and their relatives told us they were fully involved in planning and reviewing their care and had a full say in how their care was delivered
The service had a proven track record of providing exceptional care and specialist support. This was achieved through partnership working with other health specialists including positive behaviour support specialists. Great emphasis was placed on analysing and using data to understand people’s behaviours that maybe challenging and communication needs.
The service had a comprehensive understanding of how to keep people safe, and staff delivered safe care, ensuring the safety and welfare of the people they supported. Risks associated with people’s care were assessed and monitored, and any environmental risks were identified, reviewed and well managed.
The service was extremely well led by the registered manager and regional manager who were dedicated to providing a service which was responsive to people’s need. The managers recognised the importance of creating and maintaining community links, encouraging independence and supporting people to meet their own needs where possible.
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. The provider was working within the principles of the MCA.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence. The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 5 November 2015)]. There was also an inspection on 28 December 2017 however, the report following that inspection was withdrawn as there was an issue with some of the information we had gathered.
Why we inspected
This is a planned re-inspection because of the issue highlighted above.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
HF Trust - Sheffield & Derbyshire DCA is a domiciliary care agency registered to provide personal care. The agency office is based in the S8 area of Sheffield. Support is provided to younger adults living in their own homes throughout Sheffield and Derbyshire. Support can range from a few hours each week based around provision of activities, to twenty four hour support with all aspects of personal care and daily living. At the time of this inspection 57 people were supported by the agency.
In addition to supporting people in individual accommodation, the service supported people with their own tenancies in eleven shared living accommodations. Each of the shared living locations had a service manager.
There was a registered manager at the service who was registered with CQC. 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 and associated regulations about how the service is run.
Our last inspection at HF Trust - Sheffield & Derbyshire DCA took place on 2 December 2013. The service was found to be meeting the requirements of the regulations we inspected at that time.
This inspection took place on 28 and 29 September 2015 and short notice was given. We told the registered manager two days before our visit that we would be coming. We did this because the registered manager is sometimes out of the office supporting staff or visiting people who use the service. We needed to be sure that the registered manager would be available.
People supported and their representatives spoken with made positive comments about HF Trust - Sheffield & Derbyshire DCA. People said “I am happy” and “I like it a lot, I like the staff.” People who we were unable to verbally communicate with were able to communicate with their key workers and had a good rapport with them.
One relative spoken with commented, “I have peace of mind now, it is better than I dreamed of.”
We found systems were in place to make sure people received their medicines safely.
Staff recruitment procedures were thorough and ensured people’s safety was promoted.
Staff were provided with relevant induction and training to make sure they had the right skills and knowledge for their role. Staff understood their role and what was expected of them. They were happy in their work, motivated and proud to work at the service. Staff were confident in the way the service was managed. The service followed the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) Code of practice and the principles of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). This helped to protect the rights of people who may not be able to make important decisions themselves.
The support provided was person centred and flexible to suit the needs of the person supported.
People supported and a relative spoken with said they could speak with staff if they had any worries or concerns and they would be listened to.
There were effective systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. Regular checks and audits were undertaken to make sure full and safe procedures were adhered to. People using the service and their relatives had been asked their opinion via surveys, the results of these had been audited to identify any areas for improvement.
Six people that received support from HFT were supported by staff to visit the office so that we could speak with them about their experiences of the support they received. We also visited two shared supported living houses and spoke with a further six people supported by HFT, a service manager and a support worker. People supported by HFT said they were "Happy."
We telephoned three relatives of people supported by HFT. They told us that they were "Very satisfied" with the agency.
We found that before people received any care and support they were asked for their opinion and agreement to ensure that staff acted in accordance with their wishes.
We found that people's care and support needs were assessed and each person had a written support plan that set out their identified needs and the actions required of staff to meet these.
We found that medicines were being handled and stored safely.
The provider had a satisfactory recruitment and selection procedure in place to ensure that staff were appropriately employed.
The provider had an effective complaints system available.
Staff spoken with said that HFT was a very good agency to work for. They told us that they received good support and training so that they could do their jobs well. Staff told us that they were always given information about people prior to providing support. Staff told us that they felt proud to work for HFT, and proud of the quality of care provided.
Five people that received support from HFT were supported by staff to visit the office so that we could speak with them about their experiences of the support they received.
We were able to observe the interactions between staff and people supported by HFT, and speak with three of the five people who visited the office. All of the people spoken with said that they were happy with the support they received. They told us that they knew their support workers and they were provided with support in the way they wanted and preferred. People said that they felt safe with support staff. Comments included; 'They (support staff) are very good. They know me exactly, and know what I like.' 'They are good. They help me.' 'I am happy. I do what I want.' 'I decide what to do and they (the support staff) help.' People spoken with confirmed that staff talked to them about the support they needed.