Westhope Care Limited - 11 Kings Court

Updated 13 November 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

This inspection was undertaken by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in a ‘supported living’ setting 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 service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 4 days’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about this service including notifications the provider is required by law to send us about events and incidents involving people. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We visited the provider’s main office and spoke to the registered manager and to the director of care. We looked at two people’s care records and staff records relating to training, supervision and recruitment. We also looked at other records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.

As people using the service were unable to speak with us due to their communication needs, we visited the supported living setting where people lived. We observed interactions between people and staff. We also reviewed medicines management arrangements while we were there.

After the inspection

We spoke to three relatives about their experiences of the care and support provided to their family members.

Updated 13 November 2019

About the service

Westhope Care Limited - 11 Kings Court provides personal care for people who live in supported living accommodation. The service specialises in supporting people with a learning disability and/or autism. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting seven people in one supported living setting and two people who lived more independently in the community. 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

People were safe. Staff understood how to protect people from abuse or harm. The provider made sure there was current information for staff to follow to minimise identified risks to people's health, safety and wellbeing. Staff followed current practice when providing personal care and when preparing and handling food which reduced hygiene risks. There were enough staff to support people. The provider checked the suitability and fitness of staff they employed.

People and their relatives were involved in planning the care and support people needed. People’s care plans set out how their care and support needs should be met by staff. Staff were given relevant training to help them meet people’s needs. They were supported by the provider to review and continuously improve their working practices so that people would experience high quality care and support

Staff used people’s preferred method of communication to engage with them. This had helped them to develop good understanding of people's needs, preferences and wishes. Staff were warm and friendly and knew people well. They asked people for their consent before carrying out any care or support and respected their wishes and choices about how this was provided. Staff ensured people's privacy was maintained particularly when being supported with their personal care needs.

People were encouraged to be as independent as they could be. With staff’s help people learnt and maintained the skills they needed for independent living. Staff supported people to participate in activities and events of their choosing and to maintain relationships with the people that mattered to them. 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.

Staff helped people stay healthy and well. They supported people to eat and drink enough to meet their needs and to take their prescribed medicines. People accessed healthcare services when they needed to. Staff worked well with other healthcare professionals to ensure a joined-up approach to the care and support people received. People and their relatives were happy with the care and support provided by staff.

The provider had arrangements to investigate accidents, incidents and complaints and kept people involved and informed of the outcome. Improvements were made when needed and learning from investigations was shared with staff to help them improve the quality and safety of the support they provided.

People, their relatives and staff were encouraged to have their say about how the service could improve. The provider used this feedback along with other checks, to monitor, review and improve the quality and safety of the support provided. They worked proactively with other agencies and acted on recommendations to improve the quality and safety of the service for people.

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 28 April 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was planned based on the previous rating of ‘Good’.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people receive safe, compassionate, high quality care. Further inspections will be planned in line with our inspection schedule or in response to concerns.