17 March 2016
During a routine inspection
The service provides personal care and support to people living in their own homes within the community. The service supports adults who may be living with mental health conditions, dementia, learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of our inspection the service was supporting 64 people, seven of whom required assistance with personal care.
The service was registered in May 2015 and this was the first inspection to take place since they registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The inspection took place on 17 March 2016 and we contacted the service before we visited to announce the inspection.
The service had 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.
We found improvements were needed to the auditing systems in place at the service to ensure they took place regularly, were robust and effective.
People who used the service were protected from the risk of harm and abuse because staff had received safeguarding training and knew what action to take if they suspected abuse was occurring. People had risk assessments in place regarding their health and wellbeing and home environment.
People’s health needs were assessed and kept under review where necessary. Staff received training in a variety of subjects which enabled them to support people safely and meet their assessed needs. Staff were supported with supervisions and appraisals which helped support their practice and identify learning needs.
Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and supported people appropriately to make decisions and consent to support when necessary.
Staff had been recruited safely and employment checks had been completed to ensure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people. Staff had completed an induction when they were first
employed at the service and they were provided in sufficient numbers to support the needs of the people currently using the service.
Support plans detailed people’s likes and dislikes and preferences for their care and support. Staff contacted relevant health care professionals for advice to help maintain people’s wellbeing. People told us staff treated them with respect and were kind and caring. Staff demonstrated they understood how to promote people’s independence whilst protecting their privacy and dignity.
Staff felt supported and listened to by the registered manager and registered provider. Staff attended team meetings regularly to ensure they were included and updated on changes happening within the service.
The service had a complaints procedure in place and people felt they could raise concerns and they would be addressed. The service requested feedback from people who used the service to help evaluate what the service did well and identify any improvement that were needed.
The registered manager worked in partnership with local agencies and attended board meetings and conferences to keep updated with changes in health and social care practice.