Background to this inspection
Updated
20 March 2020
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection team consisted of two inspectors.
Service and service type
This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in supported living tenancies.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that someone would be available to support the inspection.
Inspection activity started on 28 January 2020 and ended on 28 January 2020. We visited the office location on 28 January 2020.
What we did before the inspection
Prior to our inspection we checked all the information we held about the service. This included any notifications the service is required to send to us by law, any allegations of abuse or feedback about the service. The provider sent us a provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.
During the inspection
People who used this service had limited verbal communication and therefore it was not possible to obtain their views about the service provided. However, to understand people’s experiences we spoke with three relatives and visited three people at college. We also requested feedback from five community professionals and nine staff members and we spoke with the managers of the service. We looked at several records. These included two care files, medication administration records, two staff files, training records and associated documentation relating to the operation and management of the service.
We used all this information to plan our inspection.
Updated
20 March 2020
About the service
Birtenshaw Domiciliary Care Service (Birtenshaw) is a service which provides personal care and support for adults with a learning disability including Autism Spectrum Disorder and or physical disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were ten people who used the service within four supported living tenancies, which were staffed by care workers at all times.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
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.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
The opportunities made available to those who used the service clearly had a positive and encouraging impact on their physical, social and emotional well-being. This was confirmed by everyone we spoke with and was evidenced through our observations and reviewing of records. People were supported by a committed staff team to achieve their goals and to meet their aspirations.
People were safe using the services of Birtenshaw. The practices adopted by the service protected people from harm. The staff team was consistent and the support provided to people promoted continuity of care. Robust recruitment practices were in place. Potential risks were handled well and medicines were managed safely. Relatives confirmed they felt people were safe whilst using the service.
An wide range of training had been provided for the staff team, which helped to ensure people received the care and support they needed. Community health and social care professionals had been involved in the care and support of those who used the service and people's dietary needs were fully met.
People received good care and support. Their preferences and wishes were respected by the staff team. People were treated with dignity and respect and were involved in the decision-making process. Care files were very well written and provided staff with clear guidance about people’s needs. Detailed information was also available about how to communicate with people effectively and independence was consistently promoted.
The management and staff team were open and transparent during the inspection process. There was plenty evidence of community engagement taking place. A wide range of regular audits and monitoring was evident. We received very positive feedback about the manager and the staff team.
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 27 June 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up: The service will be re-inspected as per our inspection programme. We will continue to monitor any information we receive about the service. The inspection may be brought forward if any risks are identified.