Background to this inspection
Updated
17 October 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. 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 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 service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission and they were also the provider of the service. This means that they are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because we needed to be sure that someone would be in the office. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with 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
As neither of the people that used the service were able to give their views on the support provided to them; we observed the interactions between them and the staff who were supporting them. We spoke with the relatives of both people that used the service to gather their views of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff including the registered manager, a senior care worker and care workers.
We reviewed a range of records. This included both people’s care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment, staff supervision and training. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were reviewed.
After the inspection
To seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found; we also looked at quality assurance records.
Updated
17 October 2019
About the service
Waters End provides care and support to people living in a 'supported living' setting, so that they can live as independently as possible. This inspection looked at the personal care and support provided to the two people that were using the service.
The service has 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
Sufficient staff were available to support people and they were safeguarded from harm, by trained staff who understood their role in reporting any concerns. Risk assessments were undertaken to minimise risks and keep people safe. People received their medicines when needed and recruitment checks were completed prior to employment. People were supported to keep their home clean.
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. People were supported to take reasonable risks which enabled them with opportunities to lead a full life. People spent their day as they preferred and were supported to take part in social activities of their choice to enhance their well-being.
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. Staff understood the support people needed to make decisions when they were unable to make specific decisions independently. Mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions were undertaken where people needed support to make specific decisions. This demonstrated that people’s rights were upheld, and they were supported in the least restrictive way possible.
People were supported as needed, to ensure their preferences and dietary needs were met. People were supported to access healthcare services and received coordinated support, to ensure their preferences and needs were met.
Information was available in an accessible format to support people’s understanding. People maintained relationships with their family and friends and were encouraged to give their views about the service. This included raising any concerns they had. People and their representatives were involved in their care to enable them to receive support in their preferred way.
There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and these were used effectively to enable the provider and registered manager to drive improvement.
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 Requires Improvement (published 17 September 2018). At this inspection we found improvements had been made.
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.