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The Brothers of Charity Services - Greater Manchester Services

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Standard House, 30 - 32 Bridge Street, Bury, BL9 6HH (0161) 762 9295

Provided and run by:
The Brothers of Charity Services

Important: This service was previously registered at a different address - see old profile

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about The Brothers of Charity Services - Greater Manchester Services on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.

This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.

If you have concerns about The Brothers of Charity Services - Greater Manchester Services, you can give feedback on this service.

30 September 2019

During a routine inspection

About the service

The Brothers of Charity Services – Greater Manchester Services provides support to people living in their own homes who need additional support due to learning difficulties, physical disability, mental health needs, drug and alcohol addiction and hoarding. The service currently supports 65 people in the Bury, Rochdale and Stockport areas. Of those only 21 people receive the regulated activity of personal care.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The service continued to maintain safe and effective systems with regards to staff training and development and recruitment procedures, medication management, infection control, safeguarding and complaints.

Since the last inspection there had been a high turnover in staff. All vacancies had been recruited to and the team was now more stable. Staff told us changes in the management structure had been positive and the running of the service was now better organised and inclusive.

Regular audits and checks were completed to monitor and review all areas of the service. People, their relatives and staff were able to share their ideas and views about the service and support provided. Information and comments received were reviewed to explore any themes or patterns so improvements could be made.

People spoke positively about their experiences and enjoyed a good rapport with staff who knew them well. Staff spoke sensitively and passionately about their role and clearly understood what was expected of them.

People’s needs were assessed prior to joining the service. Information was used to develop their support plans and risk assessments. Information guided staff on the needs, wishes and preferences of people enabling people to remain as independent as possible.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Where people needed help to make decisions advocacy support was available.

Lots of information and opportunities were made available to encourage people to meet with others, develop relationships as well as take part in activities promoting community presence.

People were supported in a range of areas to meet their individual needs. This included encouraging people to continually develop their independent living skills, such as budgeting, shopping, cooking and housekeeping.

People had access to a range of health care support where needed and were offered advice and support on maintaining their health and well-being.

Suitable arrangements were in place for the recording and responding to any safeguarding issues or complaints and concerns.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published April 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

1 March 2017

During a routine inspection

This inspection was unannounced and took place on 1 and 2 March 2017. This was the first inspection of this service.

The Brothers of Charity Services – Greater Manchester Services provides support to people in their own homes who needed additional support due to learning difficulties, physical disability, mental health needs, drug and alcohol addiction and hoarding. In the Stockport area, six people who had autism or Asperger’s syndrome were supported by the service but not with personal care.

At the time of our inspection, the service was supporting 52 people and of that number 18 people with personal care in the Bury area and one person in Rochdale.

A registered manager for the service was present during our inspection. ‘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.’

People told us they felt safe using the service. Staff were clear about their reporting responsibilities in relation to any safeguarding or and the poor practice of colleagues.

Staff had been safely recruited. Although there had been a high turnover of staff at the service, there was now a stable staff team in place. There were enough staff to meet people’s assessed support needs in a reliable, consistent and flexible way. Systems were in place to help ensure the safe handling of medicines and to reduce the risk of cross infection in the service.

People who used the service had the capacity to make decisions about what they did and the choices they made.

People were supported to shop for and prepare food and to attend healthcare appointments as needed.

We received very positive feedback from the people we visited about the flexible and personalised support they received from staff.

People told us that they got on with their support workers and were well matched. Staff spoken with knew people well

People told us there independence and social inclusion was promoted.

Written information about people was positively written. Information was seen to be in easy read formats, for example, complaints and compliments, the statement of purpose and the welcome book.

The registered manager had made improvements at the service in relation, to strengthening the day-to-day operations. This included the recruitment of staff with the right skills, knowledge and personal qualities and also to the planning of people’s support and the development of new support plans. This had been done to enable the service to expand effectively and safely.

Improvement plans were in place for the future, which included the purchase of a new property, the introduction of a new electronic rostering system and face-to-face training for staff.

We received positive feedback from the staff we spoke with about the registered manager and the management team who were said to be approachable and supportive. Management staff said they thought that Brothers of Charity was a supportive organisation with clear values.