20 and 23 November 2015
During a routine inspection
We carried out this inspection on 20 and 23November 2015. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice of the inspection because staff accompany people who use the service on shopping trips and outings and we therefore needed to be sure that someone was available to assist with our inspection. This location was last inspected in July 2013 when it was found to be compliant with all the regulations which apply to a service of this type.
There was a registered manager in post. 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.
Progressive Support is a domiciliary care service that provides care and support to people in their own homes. The service currently supports 3 people. This includes people with mental health needs and learning disabilities. The care and support is currently provided by two support staff each day and one sleep in overnight staff within the supported living property. A supportive living service is one where people live in their own home and receive care and support in order to promote their independence. People have a tenancy agreement with a landlord and receive their care and support from the domiciliary care agency. As the housing and care arrangements are separate people can choose to change their care provider without losing their home.
Throughout the inspection we consulted people who used the service and where appropriate, their representatives. We also spoke with staff from the service and obtained the views of a number of health and social care professionals who had contact with the service. Feedback was positive and people said they had no concerns about the care they received or the staff who provided it. People told us that staff were caring and treated people with dignity and respect. They told us that the service provided was excellent. They said they had complete trust in the staff and felt safe when they were around.
Staff were confident about any action to take if they had any safeguarding concerns and were confident the registered manager would follow up any concerns they might have.
Risk assessments clearly identified any risk and gave staff guidance on how to minimise risk the risk. They were designed to keep people and staff safe whilst allowing people to develop and maintain their independence.
People were supported by stable and consistent staff teams who knew people well and had received training specific to their needs. Efforts were made to match staff with people by identifying any shared interest, hobbies and compatibility.
Staff told us they enjoyed their work and were well supported through supervision, appraisals and training. The registered manager spoke highly of the staff team describing them as committed and enthusiastic in their approach to their work.
Support staff provided a calm atmosphere and focused on ensuring people were treated kindly and were able to enjoy their lives, in privacy and with dignity.
Care plans offered person centred care and ensured the person was fully involved in setting goals and monitoring and reviewing achievements. The care plans clearly guided staff in how to support people well at various times of the day and in different situations. This allowed a consistent approach from staff when they were supporting people in their own homes.
The registered manager was visible and promoted a positive culture with a focus on people’s overall wellbeing. There were quality assurance systems in place and audits were used to inform ongoing improvements in the service.