Archived: Ordinary lifestyles

Is the service caring?

Is the service responsive?

Is the service safe?

Is the service effective?

Is the service well led?

During the inspection we spoke with five people who used the service. We visited two of these people in their own home. We spoke with four relatives, five care staff, and members of the office management team. We also spoke with the registered manager and looked at records. Below is a summary of what we found.

Is the service caring?

All the people we spoke with were happy with the care and support provided by Ordinary Lifestyles. We were told the service engaged with them to ensure their needs and wishes were met. Some comments included; "They work well with me", "If it wasn't for them I would be in hospital, not at home where I want to be" and "They look after me properly."

Staff spoken with were all positive regarding the care delivered. We were told; "I enjoy enabling people to live the way they choose," and 'We work to create a better environment for the people so they can live an ordinary lifestyle."

We spoke with four relatives who confirmed they were happy with the care and support provided. One person said; 'I'm incredibly pleased with the way things are right now.'

Is the service safe?

We saw people were treated with respect and dignity by the staff. We spoke with five people who used the service who all told us staff supported them in the way they had agreed. We also spoke with two relatives who told us they were happy with the care and support the staff provided to their family members.

We saw the service had systems in place to identify and respond to allegations of abuse. Staff we spoke with were aware of the actions to take if they had concerns for a person's safety. Systems were in place to make sure the service sought people's feedback and that risks were identified and managed.

Is the service responsive?

The service had systems in place to ensure people were regularly consulted about their views and ideas on how the service should be run. This was done by means of regular discussion with people and individual meetings. We saw quality assurance systems were in place and if improvements were identified, these were actioned as appropriate and staff were informed of any changes required.

All the people we spoke with told us that they were happy with the service provided and were involved in making decisions about their care and support. Comments we received included; "I wrote my care plan with them" and "I wish I could explain how good they all are but unless you've been in my position you won't understand what it's like. They help me and because of that I feel like everyone else." This showed us people were consulted in the development of a care plan which met their needs and respected and promoted their independence.

Is the service effective?

We saw people who received care and support from Ordinary Lifestyles had a

care record that included assessments of their individual needs and risks. The care plan had been developed to meet those assessed needs. The assessments and care plans were reviewed on an annual basis, or earlier if required.

Prior to people receiving care and support, we saw information regarding the person's health needs was obtained from other health professionals, such as social workers, and whenever possible a member of staff from the service visited the person to carry out an assessment of their needs. This meant people could feel confident that the service could meet their individual and personal care needs.

We were told relatives were encouraged to be involved in the person's care and treatment, if their family member consented to this. We spoke with four relatives who confirmed this was the case. We were told; 'They are in contact with me constantly, they invite me to reviews.' And 'I'm kept informed.'

Is the service well led?

For the areas we looked at during this inspection visit we saw staff had received

appropriate training to ensure they had the knowledge, skills and experience to meet the assessed needs of people receiving care and support. This meant people who received support from Ordinary Lifestyles could be confident their needs were being met by fully trained staff.

When we spoke with staff they spoke highly of the support they received from the manager and the senior staff. They told us they received regular supervision and training. They also told us they had regular staff meetings and if they had any problem they would go straight to any member of the management team as they were available and approachable. We spoke with four relatives who told us they had no concerns in this area.

Where possible, people were asked to provide consent before any care was provided. Capacity assessments were in place and best interest meetings were held when people did not have capacity to provide informed consent.

Care plans were person centred and contained clear guidance to staff about the support people needed. Medicines were stored securely in people's homes and staff knew how to administer medicines safely.

Previously we found concerns that the provider did not always perform appropriate pre-employment checks before staff started work. During this inspection we found the provider had addressed these concerns. A range of pre-employment checks were completed in line with regulatory requirements.

The provider carried out regular quality monitoring visits in order to assess the quality of service provided.