Social Care Solutions Ltd (Peterborough & Cambridge)

Updated 16 April 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 was undertaken by one inspector.

Service and service type

This service provides care and support to people living in a ‘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 registered manager had left the service in December 2019 and cancelled their registration with the CQC. The registered manager and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. It is a condition of the providers registration that a registered manager runs the service.

Notice of inspection

We gave a short period of notice of the inspection, so the manager could arrange for us to speak with some people.

Inspection activity started on 19 February 2020 when we visited the office location and ended on 24 February 2020.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the 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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We visited the service’s office on 19 February 2020 where we spoke with five people who receive the service. We also spoke with nine staff. These included, the manager, three service managers, a team leader, and three support workers. We reviewed a range of records relating to five people’s care, and the management of the service. These included records relating to audits, complaints, and compliments. We spoke with the relatives of three people on 24 February 2020.

Updated 16 April 2020

About the service

Social Care Solutions Ltd (Peterborough & Cambridge) is a supported living service providing personal care to people with learning disabilities. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

At the time of our inspection 22 people were receiving personal care. The people lived in their own homes either on their own or in groups of up to three people sharing a house. The amount of support people received varied, with some people receiving staff support for 24 hours each day.

The service had been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were safe using the service because staff knew what they were doing. There were enough staff who had been trained and were well supported to meet people’s assessed needs and care for people effectively. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs safely. The provider had a system in place to make sure they only employed staff once they were satisfied of their suitability to work with people who used the service.

Staff assessed and minimised any potential risks to people. Staff followed the provider’s procedures to prevent the spread of infection and reduce the risk of cross contamination. The provider had systems in place to enable staff to safely manage people’s medicines.

Staff supported people to have enough to eat and drink and to access external healthcare services when needed. Staff worked well together, they understood the service’s aim to deliver high quality care, which helped people to continue to live in their own homes. Staff worked well with external care professionals to maintain, and improve, people’s physical and emotional wellbeing. Staff knew the people they cared for well and understood, and met, their needs.

People 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. People were involved in making decisions about every aspect of their care and support.

Staff supported people in a kind, caring and patient way, and displayed empathy for people’s feelings. They had developed good relationships with the people they supported. Staff were respectful when they spoke with, and about, people. Staff supported people to express their feelings and emotions.

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. Staff encouraged people to maximise their independence, to express their views and to be involved in decisions about their care.

People received person-centred support. People and their relatives were involved in their, or their family member's, care reviews. People’s needs were constantly reviewed, and staff support adapted as required. Staff supported people to take part in pastimes and interests and experience opportunities they did not have in their own homes.

Staff followed the provider’s processes to assess and check the quality and safety of the service. Senior staff carried out audits and monitored the quality of the service regularly, implementing improvements in a timely way. Senior staff followed up concerns and made sure action was taken to rectify the issue.

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 17 October 2017)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.