Archived: MHT Hackney

Updated 1 June 2015

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection of MHT Hackney took place on 28 April and 1 May 2015 and was announced. We told the provider two days before our visit that we would be coming. We did this because the registered manager and senior staff are sometimes out of the office visiting people who use the service and supporting staff; we needed to be certain that someone would be in. One inspector conducted the inspection.

Before the inspection visit we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included the previous inspection report, which showed that the service met the regulations we inspected on 16 May 2014. We also checked any statutory notifications sent to us by the registered manager about significant incidents and events that had occurred at the service, which the provider is required to send to us by law.

People funded their care packages through direct payments from their local council, which meant they had chosen to buy services from the provider. During the inspection visit we spoke with one person using the service, two support staff, the team leader and the registered manager. The second person using the service was not available to speak with us. We looked at a selection of records about people’s care and how the service was managed, which included two people’s care records and four staff recruitment, training and support records. We checked some of the policies and procedures, and looked at surveys completed by people who used the service and their representatives.

Updated 1 June 2015

The inspection was carried out on 28 April and 1 May 2015 and was announced. We gave 48 hours’ notice of the inspection to make sure that the staff we needed to speak with were available.

MHT Hackney is a supported living service which provides personal care services and housing support to people living in their own homes. The Care Quality Commission regulates the provision of personal care services but does not regulate housing support. At the time of our inspection there were two people receiving personal care services. One person lived in a flat within the same premises as the provider’s office and the other person lived in a house in a nearby neighbourhood.

There was a registered manager at the service. 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.

Staff knew how to keep people safe and the service considered people’s capacity in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. There were sufficient staff employed to meet people’s identified needs and provide personalised care and support.

Assessments were conducted to identify people’s support needs. Risk assessments were in place to make sure people were safe, while taking into account their wishes to be as independent as possible and actively involved with their hobbies and interests.

Staff supported people to take their prescribed medicines, and understood their responsibilities in relation to this area of their work. They knew how to respond to any medical emergencies or significant changes in a person’s well-being.

Staff had training to understand and meet people’s needs. They received support and advice from the registered manager and team leader.

Staff understood and respected people’s daily routines, choices, and cultural and/or religious observances. People’s entitlement to privacy, dignity and confidentiality was promoted.

Staff had the skills and knowledge to respond to people’s changing needs. Care plans were regularly reviewed and updated as required.

People were provided with pictorial and written guidance about how to make a complaint about the service, including information about how to access advocacy support to assist with making a complaint.

People and their representatives were offered opportunities to give their views about the service. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of care.