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Archived: Milton Keynes Supported Living Service

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

25 Perrydown, Beanhill, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK6 4NH (01908) 678713

Provided and run by:
The Fremantle Trust

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

All Inspections

06 January 2015

During a routine inspection

The inspection took place 06 January 2015 and it was announced.

Milton Keynes Supported Living Service provides a domiciliary support service to enable adults with learning disabilities to live independently in their own home. This agency provides support services to adults living in the Milton Keynes area. On the day of our inspection, 39 people were using the service.

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.

People felt safe living at the service. It was evident from talking with staff that they were aware of what they considered to be abuse and how to report this.

Risks to people’s safety had been assessed and were in people’s support plans. Staff used these to assist people to be as independent as possible.

There was sufficient staff, with the correct skill mix, on duty to support people with their needs. Staff had been recruited using a robust recruitment process.

Medicines were stored, administered and handled safely.

Staff were knowledgeable about the needs of individual people they supported. People were supported to make choices around their care and daily lives.

Staff had attended a variety of training to keep their skills up to date and were supported with regular supervision by the registered manager.

There were policies and procedures in place in relation to the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Staff knew how to use them to protect people who were unable to make decisions for themselves.

People could make choices about their food and drink and were provided with support when required to prepare meals.

Each person had a ‘health Passport’ and access to health care professionals to ensure they received effective care or treatment.

Staff treated people with kindness and compassion, and knew people well.

People and their relatives were involved in making decisions and planning their care, and their views were listened to and acted upon.

People had the privacy they required and were treated with respect at all times.

People’s support plans were person centred and reflected how they wished to receive support.

Staff supported people to follow their interests and social activities.

There was an effective complaints procedure in place.

Regular meetings were held for staff and people who used the service to enable everyone to be involved in the development of the service.

We saw that effective quality monitoring systems were in place. A variety of audits were carried out and used to drive improvement.

28 November 2013

During a routine inspection

With their prior agreement we met with three people in their own home and asked them about their experience of using this small agency's domiciliary support services. We also spoke with two people who were happy to meet with us in a communal room they were using at the time and we asked them about their experience of receiving support from staff. We found that all the people we spoke with had been provided with the practical assistance and support they needed to live independently in their own home and engage with the community.

All the people we spoke with were very happy with the standard of care and support provided by the staff. One person said that the support they received made them 'really happy' because they had been enabled to make choices about what they wanted to each day.

We found the agency to be well managed and we saw that people received reliable, safe and effective care that enabled them to live independently at home.

23 January 2013

During a routine inspection

We spoke with four people, each occupying a shared flat at 'Perrydown' in Milton Keynes. They all said they received the support they needed. Everyone we spoke with said they liked their support workers and got on well with them. We saw that each person received the practical help, support and guidance they needed to enable them to live independently in their own home.

22 November 2011

During a routine inspection

People told us they make decisions in their everyday lives. One person told us she had been supported to go on a cruise with staff support. People said they decide what meals they have and staff support them to prepare these if necessary. One person was supported to keep a cat. Two people told us they were involved in local partnership boards.

People said they had seen the service users' guide and that they had been involved in their support plans. Each person had a copy of their support plan in their home. People said they can choose who attends their reviews. One person was having a review the day after our visit and said it would be held at his house.

People said they had access to a local advocacy service. One person said he had been involved with staff interviews and was very pleased that there would be further opportunities to do this in the new year. One person said he was being supported to visit his aunt at the weekend.

People said they had a support plan in place which they had contributed to. People said there were staff to help them when they needed support. People told us they were supported by a consistent group of staff. No one we spoke with had experienced staff not turning up at agreed times. People said they were supported to attend medical appointments if they needed help with this. We were shown examples of health passports which documented people's preferences for support if they needed to go into hospital.

People that we spoke with said they knew who to speak with if they had any concerns. Most said ''staff'' or ''Lorraine'', the manager. People said they would be listened to. One person said he had raised concerns and these had been dealt with to his satisfaction.

Staff that we spoke with confirmed they had attended safeguarding training. They said they were aware of whistle blowing procedures. Staff told us they receive regular supervision and that there were good training opportunities.