We carried out a review of the data available to us about Healey Care Limited 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 Healey Care Limited, you can give feedback on this service.
Healey Care Limited provides care and support to people living in three 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. The care service had been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion to ensure people with learning disabilities and autism can live as ordinary a life as any citizen. At the time of the inspection, there were seven people using the service.
At our last inspection of 16 December 2015 we rated the service good. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.
Staff had excellent relationships with people; people were happy and relaxed in each of the houses. People’s rights to privacy, dignity, and freedom of choice were firmly embedded into the culture of the service. Staff embraced people's diversity and this was reflected in the support plans we saw. People and their relatives, where appropriate, had been consulted about their care and support needs and were kept up to date with any changes. Support plans and risk assessments were very detailed and provided staff with excellent guidance on how to meet people’s needs.
People had been consulted about their aspirations for the future; staff had taken appropriate action to help people develop and take small steps to achieve their dreams and ambitions. Each person, where possible, had been involved in the development of their own support plans and risk assessments which provided clear guidance for staff on how to meet their needs and preferences. Care and support was focused on people's wishes and preferences and people were supported to be as independent as possible in all aspects of their lives.
Everyone, without exception, was very complimentary about the service. They told us the service was well managed and very much family run. Since the last inspection the provider and the providers' family members had become more involved in the service; they were known and were a visible presence in the service. Staff told us they enjoyed working in the service. The registered manager monitored the quality of the service and listened to people’s views. The registered manager used the feedback to make improvements to the service.
People were protected from the risk of social isolation and were supported to live full and active lives and use local services and facilities. Activities were provided both inside and outside the wider service. Activities were meaningful, varied, and personal to people’s requirements and in line with their wishes and aspirations. There were excellent facilities within the wider service for people to meet with their friends, family and the local community such as a service user led forum that met regularly to suggest and drive forward improvements and developments to the service and a social centre, which held evening and daytime activities, events and entertainments for people, their families and friends. These services had been developed and improved since the last inspection to provide people with more access to appropriate, meaningful and safe activities. People were aware of how they could raise a complaint or concern if they needed to and had access to a complaints procedure.
We observed excellent relationships between people and observed the management team and staff interacting with people in a caring, good humoured and friendly manner. Management and staff demonstrated exceptional insight and understanding of people’s personal values and needs. People were happy and relaxed with staff. People said they felt safe and staff treated them well. We observed staff interaction with people was friendly, patient and encouraging. Safeguarding adults’ procedures were robust and staff understood how to safeguard the people they supported from abuse.
Appropriate recruitment checks were completed before staff started work. Staff received a wide range of appropriate learning and development and new staff completed an in depth induction when they started work. There were enough staff available to meet people's care and support needs in a flexible way.
People's medicines were managed appropriately and safely. People were encouraged to follow a healthy diet; they were consulted about the food provided which helped ensure their dietary preferences and needs were considered. People were supported to access health care professionals when needed.
The registered manager and staff understood the principles associated with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and acted in accordance with this legislation. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
We carried out an announced inspection of Healey Care Limited on the 15 & 16 December 2015.
Healey Care Limited provides a supported living service for people living in their own homes who have a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of the inspection the service was providing support to nine people in four houses.
At the previous inspection on 17 September 2013 we found the service was meeting all the standards assessed.
The service was managed by a registered manager. 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 spoken with including their relatives were complimentary about the care and support provided and about the staff team. Relatives said, “(Family member) has consistently received excellent care and support from a small team of very caring people” and “We are delighted with the service; really pleased.” People using the service said, “The staff are kind; I get on with them” and “I trust them.”
There were good systems and processes in place to keep people safe. Risks to people had been identified, assessed and managed safely. Staff had a good understanding of safeguarding and protection matters and expressed confidence in reporting concerns. There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people’s needs and the service followed safe recruitment practices. People’s medicines were managed safely and were administered by staff who were trained and competent.
Staff received a range of appropriate training to give them the necessary skills and knowledge to help them look after people properly. This helped to ensure the staff team had a good balance of skills and knowledge to meet the needs of people using the service. Staff were well supported by the management team and received regular supervision.
Staff followed the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to ensure that people’s rights were protected where they were unable to make decisions for themselves.
People’s nutritional needs were met and they were involved in the development of the menu, shopping for food and basic food preparation.
People’s individual needs were assessed and support plans were developed to identify what care and support they required. People were consulted about their care to ensure their wishes and preferences were met and their independence was promoted. Staff worked with healthcare professionals to obtain specialist advice about people’s care and treatment.
Staff were knowledgeable about people’s individual needs, backgrounds and personalities. People told us they were given privacy when they wanted. One person said, “If I want to be on my own I can go to my room.” Visitors were made welcome to the home and people were supported to maintain relationships with their friends and relatives.
People were involved in making choices and decisions about their daily lives and about how the service was run. People were in involved in the recruitment and selection process, developing policies and procedures and participated in staff training.
People were supported to participate in a range of appropriate activities and to pursue their hobbies and interests. Activities were tailored to the individual and included cook and eat sessions, exercise classes, shopping, cycling, swimming and attendance at local clubs, pubs, hairdressers and colleges.
People knew who to speak to if they were unhappy and were confident they would be listened to. People told us, “I am happy to tell staff if I was unhappy” and “I know about making complaints. Staff talk to me if I am feeling sad or unhappy about things.” A relative said, “I can broach any issues and they are dealt with. Communication is very open.”
There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. There was evidence these systems had identified shortfalls and that improvements had been made. The registered manager regularly visited each of the houses. This helped her to monitor staff practice, review the quality of information in people’s records and to obtain people’s feedback about the service provided.
People did not express any concerns about the management and leadership arrangements. They said, “Excellent service” and “Excellently run.” People were confident management and staff were open and transparent. One relative said, “I trust them as they involve me and recognise that collaboration is the best approach.”
People were not left alone for long periods and were given time to spend quietly, if preferred. We saw that staff treated people with respect and communicated with them regularly.
We reviewed information about two people's care and found that their care needs were being planned for. We found that the staff understood people's care needs and how to protect them from risk and harm.
Records we looked at showed people's needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with the individual care plan. We found that the care plans were accompanied by risk assessments and risk management plans to ensure people were protected from unsafe care practices.
We found that there were effective systems in place for the safe storage and administration of medicines.
We saw that there were effective recruitment procedures in place to ensure that people who used the service were protected from harm good staff recruitment.
Three of the people we spoke with made various positive comments about the staff team:
"All of the staff have my best interests at heart and help me achieve what I want to do."
"The support staff have helped me settle in and have gone out of their way to make my life better"
People were provided with care plans which were reviewed regularly and updated when
required. People said they felt safe living in the home and were able to discuss concerns or issues with the staff if they wished to.
We saw that the people using the agency are involved in planning their care and are in
control of how their support is provided for them.
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Care plans are regularly reviewed so that people have the most appropriate support to
meet their needs and if these needs change, the support they receive is amended to
reflect those needs.
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Risk assessments are reviewed regularly in respect of the person's needs, the
environment and behaviour so that service users and staff are safeguarded.