Look Ahead Domiciliary Care (Hertfordshire)

Updated 27 June 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

One inspector carried out this inspection.

Service and service type: This service provides care and support to people living in their own flats within one ‘supported living’ setting, so that they can live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care and support.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission when our inspection started. They have since left this position and are no longer registered with us as manager. A registered manager 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 visit because it is small and the manager is often out of the office supporting staff or visiting other parts of the service. We needed to be sure they would be in.

Inspection site visit activity started and ended on 30 April 2019. We visited the office location on 30 April 2019 to see the manager and office staff; and to review care records and policies and procedures. We also spoke with people and staff during this visit. On 23 and 28 May 2019 we contacted relatives of people who were unable to easily speak with us.

What we did:

Before the inspection visit we looked at information we held about the service and used this information as part of our inspection planning. The information included notifications. Notifications are information on important events that happen in the home that the provider is required by law to let us know about. In February 2019 the provider had sent us a completed provider information return (PIR). The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During our inspection we saw how staff interacted with people who used the service. We spoke with four people and one person’s relative. We spoke with the registered manager and two members of staff. We also spoke with two social care professionals who worked with staff and people at the service.

We looked at three people’s care records as well as other records relating to the management of the home. These included surveys, medicine records and audits.

Updated 27 June 2019

About the service: Look Ahead Domiciliary Care (Hertfordshire) is a domiciliary care agency providing care and support to seven people with learning difficulties in a supported living setting.

People’s experience of using this service:

People were happy with the care agency and the staff who provided their care.

People were safe using the agency because staff knew what they were doing, they had been trained and the building they lived in was secure. There were enough staff, and the registered manager (who has since left the service) also visited people regularly. Key recruitment checks were obtained before new staff started work.

People told us they always received their medicines and that staff knew how these should be given. Medicine records were completed accurately and with enough detail. Staff supported people with meals and drinks. Staff took action to reduce the risks of spreading infection. Staff followed advice from health care professionals and made sure they asked people’s consent before caring for them.

People liked the staff that cared for them. People told us that staff were “nice”, and “lovely”. They went on to tell us that staff supported them to live as they wanted. Staff were kind and caring, they involved people in their care and made sure people’s privacy was respected. Staff worked well together, they understood the agency’s aim to deliver high quality care, which helped people to continue to live in their own homes.

Systems to monitor how well the agency was operating were carried out well. Where concerns were identified, the registered manager followed this up to make sure action was taken to rectify the issue.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

Rating at last inspection: Good. (Previous report published 15 September 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as scheduled in our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.

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