3 August 2016
During a routine inspection
The service has a manager who is seeking registration. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.
Our last inspection of the service was on 5 and 7 August and 2 September 2015. At that inspection we found that the service was inadequate. The service provided us with an action plan of how they were going to improve and by when. The provider had taken the action they said they would to improve all the of the areas and issues identified at the last inspection. Hence at this inspection having carefully checked each concern, we are now able to rate the service as good.
People were protected from the risk of abuse as staff had attended training to ensure they had the necessary understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Staff had also attended safeguard training so that they knew how to report matters to the appropriate authorities if they suspected abuse was happening. The new manager and senior team knew how to share information with the local authority should the need arise.
People were supported by a sufficient number of suitably trained staff. The manager had ensured appropriate recruitment checks were carried out on staff before they commenced work at the service. Staff had been recruited safely and had the skills and knowledge to provide care and support in the ways that people chose.
The provider had systems in place so that staff were trained to administer medicines and people were supported to take their prescribed medicines safely.
Staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2015 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The MCA and DoLS ensure that, where people lack capacity to make decisions for themselves, decisions are made in their best interests according to a structured process. The manager and senior team were aware of the need to arrange, where appropriate, best interest meetings with and for people that may use this service to support them in their own home.
The staff responded to people’s needs in an understanding compassionate and caring manner. We were aware that positive and supportive relationships had been built up between the staff, people using the service and relatives. People were supported to make day to day decisions and were treated with dignity and respect at all times. People were given choices in their daily routines and their privacy and dignity was respected. People were supported and enabled to be as independent as possible in all aspects of their lives.
Staff knew people well because they worked together in small groups in the geographical areas covered by the service. Staff were well trained, skilled and competent.in meeting people’s needs. They were supported and supervised in their roles both through pre-arranged supervision sessions, appraisals and also spot checks.
People and family members were involved in the planning and reviewing of their care and support.
The service worked with other professionals and organisations so that people’s health needs were assessed and support planned to meet the assessed needs. People were supported to maintain a nutritionally balanced diet and sufficient fluid intake to maintain good health.
The management was of a supportive culture and staff were supported to provide care that was centred on the individual. The manager and senior staff were approachable to people using the service and staff and enabled people who used the service to express their views.
People were supported to report any concerns or complaints and they felt they would be taken seriously. People who used the service or their representatives, were encouraged to be involved in decisions about the service. The provider had systems in place to check the quality of the service and take the views and concerns of people and their relatives into account to make improvements to the service.
The manager and senior staff of the service were in turn supported by the provider, which included regular visits to the service base to discuss the support provided by the service staff.