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Archived: Lifeways Community Care (Gloucestershire)

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Suite 3, Bath Road Trading Estate, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 3QF (01453) 766441

Provided and run by:
Lifeways Community Care Limited

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Background to this inspection

Updated 14 March 2019

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 was 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 the 22 and 31 January 2019 and was announced. We gave the registered manager 24 hours’ notice of our inspection. We did this because the provider or registered manager is sometimes out of the office supporting staff or visiting people who use the service. We needed to be sure that they would be available. The inspection was carried out by two inspectors.

We reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR) which had been completed by the registered manager. This 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. We reviewed the information we held about the service. We reviewed the notifications about important events which the service is required to send us by law. We also spoke with one local commissioner.

We spoke with two people who were receiving care and support from the service and one person's relative. We also spoke with six staff members which included three care staff, the manager, an office staff member and the registered manager. We reviewed six people's care files. We also reviewed staff training and recruitment records and records relating to the general management of the service.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 14 March 2019

This inspection took place on 22 and 31 January 2019.

Lifeways Community Care (Gloucestershire) provides care and support to people living in 'supported living' settings, so that they can live in their own home 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. Not everyone receives support with a regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating.

A registered manager was in post who had been registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in April 2018. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

Each household had a service manager who was supported by the registered manager. Prospect House is the main office which is part of Lifeways Community Care Limited. 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.

Since our last inspection the service had decreased in size and people’s care needs were less complex than during our previous inspection. During this inspection there were four people receiving personal care in three different households. As part of our inspection we visited two of the households.

This inspection took place on 22 and 31 January 2019. At the last comprehensive inspection in June 2018 we rated the service “Requires Improvement”. Monitoring systems were not effectively operated to ensure the quality and safety of the care provided. At one household internal auditing and quality assurance systems were not planned for or carried out regularly. At this inspection we found the service had taken actions to improve and the legal requirements were met. The provider needed to make some further improvements to ensure when shortfalls in the service were identified prompt action would be taken to avoid breaching legal requirements again, and to improve the service.

During this inspection we found that staffing levels were kept under review as new people were registered with the service to ensure there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. For example, a new person moved into one of the households in 2018 and staffing was increased to ensure their needs were met. Staff recruitment had improved and were in place to ensure all necessary checks had been completed prior to employment. People told us they received their care how they wanted and it met their preferences.

During this inspection we found the service had made improvements to their auditing systems. For example, service managers and team Leaders completed quality assurance audits to monitor and assess the support needs and peoples experience of the service. This included improvements made to the way people were involved in their care. Whilst systems to monitor the experience of people using the service had improved, these needed more time to become fully imbedded to drive the quality of support for people. For example, in relation to ensuring identified staff received refresher training in a timely manner.

People were supported to have choice and control over 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 the planning and review of their care and support. They chose the activities or employment opportunities they wished to take part in. People went to a local disco, into town, shopping and to laser tag. People could attend local places of worship when they wished to. People kept in touch with those important to them through supported telephone calls or weekly visits.

People’s preferred forms of communication were highlighted in their care records. Staff were observed spending time chatting and socialising with people. Good use was made of easy to read information which used photographs and pictures to illustrate the text. People had access to easy to read guides about advocacy and complaints. Documentation to support decision making and best interest decisions were in picture and large font formats to support people to make their own decisions wherever possible.

People’s health and wellbeing was promoted. A weekly menu encouraged people to have vegetables and fruit in their diet and people helped to prepare and cook their own meals. People had access to a range of health care professionals and had annual health checks.

People’s medicines were safely managed. Staff knew how to keep people safe and how to raise safeguarding concerns. Risks were well managed, encouraging people’s independence.

Systems to identify when staff required training and supervision were not always effective.

Comments about Lifeways from people who use the service included, “They are a very good care team” and “I like all the staff."