- Homecare service
Milford Del Support Agency
Report from 8 April 2025 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment 22 April to 07 May 2025.
We carried out this assessment to gain an up-to-date view of the service. The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, safeguarding people from abuse, staffing and good governance. The provider employed a new nominated individual and registered manager following our previous inspection and significant improvements were found at this inspection and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
We assessed the service against “Right support, right care, right culture” guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. We found there was overwhelming evidence that the core values of choice, promotion of independence and community inclusion were at the centre of people's day-to-day support.
The provider had a positive learning culture where people could raise concerns and feel confident, they would be heard. The management team investigated incidents thoroughly to learn and improve outcomes for people. People were supported to live fulfilled lives and take positive risks. Staff understood their safeguarding responsibilities to ensure people were protected from abuse.
There was a genuine person-centred culture, where staff displayed empathy and worked with people and their family members to understand how best to support them. The attitude and knowledge of staff and management clearly had a positive impact on people and their families.
There was a strong emphasis on continuity of care to maximise the opportunities for people. Training and guidance for families was provided free of charge to assist with their understanding and to support their relative to have continuity of care. People were provided with core staff teams to help provide them with continuity of care and develop trusting relationships.
People were supported by staff who were highly skilled, and knowledgeable in caring for people with additional needs. Staff were skilled in helping people to express their views and communicated with them in ways they could understand.
Staff understood and followed the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and were aware of people's rights to refuse care. The management team and staff worked to ensure that people's choices and wishes were respected.
People's experience of this service
People were living in supported living and had their own tenancies; people were extremely positive about the quality of care and support they received. They told us they felt safe, listened to and were able to speak up.
People were fully involved in the planning of their care and supported to review and change their support plan as needed. One person told us, “I wrote my support plan myself with [manager], staff really listen and support me”.
People were encouraged to maintain and develop personal relationships, by meeting and engaging with people who shared similar life experiences, interests and hobbies.
People told us they trusted the staff team and chose their own staff with the help of the site manager. People told us staff were kind, caring, knowledgeable and passionate. Several people told us how much they had achieved and how their wellbeing and self-confidence had improved since using the service. One person told us “All the carers are on time and support me very well. I feel very happy living at [service] and wouldn’t change it for the world. There is a good management team, it is the best place I have ever lived, my confidence has improved, and I have done things I never thought were possible”.
People were fully involved in running the service and recruiting staff. One person told us, “We have meetings at the office once a month, we talk about all kinds of things, I have had help to understand things and feel able to make suggestions”.
People were encouraged and enabled to be fully involved in their local community and access the services and facilities. Staff empowered people to maintain or develop their independence and take responsibility for their lives.
People were supported to find voluntary or paid employment and attend vocational courses to develop job skills for the future.