15 School Street

Updated 4 January 2018

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 is 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.

Following the last inspection, we asked the provider to make improvements in effective and well led to at least good. At this inspection we found that the improvements had been made because when people were unable to consent decisions were made in their best interest and there were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service.

15 School St provides care and support for two people living in a ‘supported living’ setting, 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.

The people who live at 15 School St have learning disabilities and 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.

We used information we held about the service and the provider to assist us to plan the inspection. This included notifications the provider had sent to us about significant events at the service. We also used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We produced an inspection plan to assist us to conduct the inspection visit.

One inspector completed this inspection on 6 November 2017. We announced it and gave the provider one days’ notice. This was to ensure that we could visit people in their home at a convenient time and to make sure staff were available to speak with us. People who lived at the home had limited levels of verbal communication to be able to give us their feedback of the care they received. Therefore, we observed the interaction between people and the staff who supported them throughout the inspection visit. We also spoke with one relative about their experience of the care that the people who lived at the home received.

We spoke with the registered manager, two deputy managers, and one member of care staff. We reviewed care plans for two people to check that they were accurate and up to date. We also looked at the systems the provider had in place to ensure the quality of the service was continuously monitored and reviewed to drive improvement; for example, audits and development plans. We also looked at two staff recruitment files.

Updated 4 January 2018

This announced inspection took place on 6 November 2017. 15 School St provides care and support for two people living in a ‘supported living’ setting, so that they can live in their own home as independently as possible. There were two people living there at the time of the inspection. When we completed our previous inspection on 3 August 2016 the service was rated as Requires Improvement. At this inspection the service has been rated as Good.

There was a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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.’

At the last inspection on 3 August 2016 we asked the provider to take action to make improvements to capacity assessments and quality improvement systems. This action has been completed. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. When decisions were made because people did not have capacity to do so they were made in their best interest.

Quality monitoring systems were effective in highlighting errors and implementing actions to ensure that they were addressed.

Staff received training and support to enable them to fulfil their role effectively and were encouraged to develop their skills. They understood their responsibilities to identify and report abuse. There were enough staff to meet their needs and to ensure that they could go out to their organised activities and socially.

People were supported to maintain good health and had regular access to healthcare professionals. Their care plans were regularly reviewed to correspond with changing support needs and they were personalised and accessible. Risk was assessed, actions were put in place to reduce it and their effectiveness was reviewed. Medicines were administered as prescribed and they were stored safely.

Staff had caring relationships with the people they supported which were respectful. They understood how people communicated and supported them to make choices about their care. They knew people well and provided care that met their preferences. People’s privacy and dignity were maintained at all times. They were supported to maintain and develop important family relationships.

There was a procedure in place for people to complain, although no complaints had been received. People had up to date care plans which were regularly reviewed.

Staff felt supported by the registered manager and they understood the responsibilities of their registration.