5 July 2017
During a routine inspection
The provider is registered to support people with a wide range of needs including dementia, learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorder, mental health, older people, people who misuse drugs and alcohol, physical disability, sensory impairment and younger adults. The service supports people who live in and around Scarborough, Malton, Bridlington, Driffield and Whitby.
We inspected this service on 5 and 6 July 2017. The provider was given 48 hours' notice of our visit, because we needed to be sure that someone would be in the location's office when we visited. At the time of our inspection, there were 79 people using the service who were receiving support with personal care. This was the location's first inspection since it was registered in January 2016 after a change of address.
At the time of our 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.
People who used the service told us that they felt safe. Staff showed a good understanding of how to keep people safe. Care plans and risk assessments were completed to support staff to safely meet people's needs. Staff understood their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding people who may be at risk of abuse. People we spoke with said they felt safe and well cared for. People who used the service had emergency contact details provided and they were able to contact the office for support if they needed to. The provider had emergency plans in place which detailed how they would continue to meet people’s needs in to the event of a major incident. Staff were aware of their responsibilities in relation to the prevention and control of infection and protective equipment was used when providing support to people.
Sufficient numbers of staff were employed to meet people's needs. Effective recruitment and pre-employment checks, including Disclosure and Barring Service checks were in place and this ensured only suitable people were employed. Staff had a good range of training that was relevant to their role and this enabled them to provide safe and effective care and support. Staff were supported through regular supervision and annual appraisals. There was effective communication between the care workers and management. People were supported to take their prescribed medicine when they needed it and the recording of support with medication was good. People were consulted about the level of care they received and consent to care was appropriately considered and recorded in line with current legislation and best practice guidance. Professionals told us they had effective working relationships with the staff and the manager.
People told us staff were kind and caring. Staff had positive and meaningful relationships with the people they supported. We saw that people were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff provided explanations to people before offering support and worked with them in a manner which ensured that their choice and independence was maximised. People's privacy and dignity was maintained when staff were providing care and support.
The provider was responsive to people's needs. The care and support provided was person-centred and tailored to people's individual support needs and preferences. Care plans were detailed and provided guidance to staff on how to meet people's needs. People's care and support was reviewed regularly and their care plans were updated when changes occurred. Pre-admission assessments were completed and there was evidence of good transitional work between services such as hospital to home. People were supported to follow their interests and hobbies and plans were in place to avoid social isolation.
People who used the service spoke very positively about the staff and the management. The provider sought people's views and opinions and acted upon the feedback to improve the service. We found there was a positive, open and inclusive culture at the service and the manager was clearly committed to providing person-centred care for the benefit of the people that used the service. People told us they had a regular team of care workers, and if they had to have a new care worker they were normally introduced. Records were well maintained and the manager had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided. The provider had an electronic 'logging in' system which ensured people who used the service got their planned call on time and that care workers stayed for the full duration of that call. People told us that care workers were generally on time and staff told us they had enough travelling time allocated to get to their calls.