22 May 2017
During a routine inspection
The service provides care for people who live in Lincolnshire and who need support to regain their independence when they leave hospital. They are contracted to provide care over a four week period to support people with their care needs and their ability to access the community. There were 256 people using the service on the day we inspected. The service is not provided at set times or for set durations but is provided flexibly to reduce as people regain their abilities to live independently.
There was a registered manager for 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.
The provider had effective systems in place to monitor the workload of care workers and to enable them to provide flexible responsive care for people. Office staff were able to identify when there was capacity to provide care for people new to the service. Staff were provided with training and support which enabled them to provide safe care and to maximise people’s independence. Staff knew how to keep people safe from abuse and knew how to raise concerns.
The care was tailored towards supporting people to regain their independence in all areas of their lives. Care workers ensured that the equipment and support was in place so that people could remain independent after the service was withdrawn. People received the support needed to manage their medicines and to access food and drink. People were encouraged to continue the social activities they enjoyed before they were ill.
While the care provided was for a defined period of time the provider had systems in place to ensure that people were not left unsupported. Staff engaged with the local authority and other care agencies to arrange for ongoing support to be put in place.
Care workers were kind, caring and polite. They supported people to become and remain independent and ensured that people’s dignity was respected while they were receiving care. Care workers had received training in the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and encouraged people to make their own decisions about the care they received and about their lives.
People had their views of the service they received gathered and the registered manager took action to respond to any concerns or complaints. The provider had structured the service and staff to manage the flexible and responsive service so that people received a high quality of care. They had invested in systems which supported their staff to deliver the care people needed. The registered manager had access to effective monitoring systems which allowed them to identify issues and make changes ensure people received a service which met their needs.