Background to this inspection
Updated
4 April 2020
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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by an inspector.
Service and service type
Supported Living:
This service provides care and support to people living in 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 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 a short period of notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection and wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with three people in their homes who were supported by the service, about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff, including the registered manager, registered provider, two senior support workers and a support worker. We spoke with four relatives by telephone about their experience of the service.
We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records, multiple medication records and six staff files. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.
Updated
4 April 2020
About the service
Knutsford Supported Living Network is run by Cheshire East Council and provides care and support to people living in a ‘supported living’ setting, so they can live in their own home as independently as possible. There were 24 people being supported by the service at the time of the inspection.
People shared communal areas within their homes and had their own bedroom personalised to their preferences and needs. An office was located centrally to the supported living homes. Waking night staff were available.
The service had not originally 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, so that people with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen. However, we found people were given choice, their independence was promoted, and the service had an inclusive culture.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and in 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.
Safe recruitment practices were in place and people were supported by regular staff that knew them well. All staff had completed an induction and undertaken training relevant to their role. Enough staff were employed to meet the needs of the people supported by the service. Staff were supported through supervision and team meetings.
People’s needs were assessed prior to them being supported by the service. Individualised care plans and risk assessments held sufficient detail to reflect people’s needs, routines and preferences. Care records were regularly reviewed to ensure the most up-to-date information was available for staff. Staff had developed positive relationships with people and had a good understanding of their needs.
People were protected from the risk of harm and abuse. Clear policies and procedures were in place and staff felt confident to raise any concerns they had.
Medication was managed safely, and staff had access to medicines policies and procedures as well as best practice guidelines. Medication administration records (MARs) were consistently completed and audited to identify any areas for development and improvement. Staff understood how to minimise the risk of infection being spread and had access to personal protective equipment (PPE).
People’s independence was promoted, and their privacy and dignity was respected. People and their relatives spoke positively about the staff and management team. Staff were described as kind, caring and accommodating.
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.
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 requires improvement (published 27 February 2019) and there were multiple breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow-up
We will continue to monitor information receive about the service until we return to visit as per our inspection programme will stop if we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.