Background to this inspection
Updated
24 August 2018
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This inspection took place on 24 July, 6 and 13 August 2018 and was announced.
We gave the provider 24 hours' notice to ensure someone would be available at the office.
We carried out a site visit on the first day of inspection and met with two people who used the service and on day two and three we carried out telephone interviews with staff.
The inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector.
Before the inspection, we had received a completed Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the PIR and other information we held about the service as part of our inspection. This included the notifications we had received from the provider. Notifications are changes, events or incidents the provider is legally obliged to send CQC within required timescales. We also contacted commissioners from the Local Authorities who contracted people’s care.
During the inspection, we spoke with two people who used the service, the registered manager, the service supervisor, the office manager and two support workers. We reviewed a range of records about people’s care and how the service was managed. We looked at care records for two people, recruitment, training and induction records for five staff, two people’s medicines records, staffing rosters, staff meeting minutes, meeting minutes for people who used the service and quality assurance audits the registered manager had completed.
Updated
24 August 2018
This was an announced inspection which took place on 24 July, 6 August and 13 August 2018. We gave the provider 24 hours' notice to ensure someone would be available at the office.
North East Disability Resource Centre provides personal care support to three people with learning impairment and associated conditions who use the service and currently live in their own homes.
At the last inspection in June 2017 the service was rated requires improvement and was not meeting all of the legal requirements with regard to regulation 11, need for consent and regulation 17, good governance.
Following that inspection we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key questions need for consent and governance to at least good.
At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the service was no longer in breach of regulations 11 and 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
A registered manager was in place. 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.
A range of systems were now in place to monitor and review the quality and effectiveness of the service. People had the opportunity to give their views about the service. There was regular consultation with people and their views were used to improve the service.
People were protected as staff had received training about safeguarding and knew how to respond to any allegation of abuse. There were other opportunities for staff to receive training to meet people’s care needs. A system was in place for staff to receive supervision and appraisal and there were appropriate recruitment processes being used when staff were employed.
People and staff told us they felt safe and there were enough staff on duty to provide safe care to people. Staff knew people’s care and support requirements. There was a good standard of record keeping that accurately reflected people’s care and support needs.
A complaints procedure was available. People told us they would feel confident to speak to staff about any concerns if they needed to. People had access to an advocate if required.
Risk assessments were in place and they accurately identified current risks to the person as well as ways for staff to minimise or appropriately manage those risks. Care was provided with kindness and people’s dignity was respected.
People were involved in decisions about their care. They were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible, the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and best interest decision making approaches, when people were unable to make decisions themselves.
People had food and drink to meet their needs. Some people were assisted by staff to plan their menu and shop for the ingredients. People received meals that had been cooked by staff. People were appropriately supported to maintain their health and they received their medicines in a safe way.
People were provided with opportunities to follow their interests and hobbies, they were supported to go on holiday. They were supported to contribute and to be part of the local community.