Social Care Solutions Ltd (Peterborough & Cambridge)

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.

The inspection took place on 21 and 22 September 2017 and we gave the provider 48-hours’ notice before we visited.

This was the first inspection since the service was registered on 6 October 2016. There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

People were kept as safe as possible because staff were knowledgeable about reporting any suspicions or incidents of harm. There were a sufficient number of staff employed and recruitment procedures ensured that only suitable staff were employed. Staff were supported and trained to do their job.

Risk assessments were in place and actions were taken to reduce these risks. Arrangements were in place to ensure that people were supported and protected with the safe management of their medicines.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) )and report on what we find. Staff received training and were able to demonstrate a good understanding of MCA.

People were supported to access a range of health care professionals and they were provided with opportunities to increase their levels of independence by being able to access a range of activities. Health risk assessments were in place to ensure that people were supported to maintain their health. The team managers and support staff were in contact with a range of health care professionals to ensure that people’s care and support was well coordinated.

People had adequate amounts of food and drink to meet their individual preferences and dietary needs.

People’s privacy and dignity were respected and their care and support was provided in a kind, caring and a reassuring way.

People’s hobbies and interests had been identified and they were supported to take part in a range of activities that were meaningful to them.

A complaints procedure was in place and complaints had been responded to, to the satisfaction of the complainants. People could raise concerns with the staff at any time and a pictorial version of the complaints procedure was available to assist people’s understanding.

The provider had quality assurance processes and procedures in place to monitor and develop the quality and safety of people’s support and care. People and their relatives were able to make suggestions in relation to the support and care provided and staff acted on what they were told. There were strong links with the community.