Archived: United Response - Cumbria DCA

United Response - Cumbria DCA provides domiciliary care to people living in their own homes and to support to people living in ‘supported living’ settings. This meant people could live as independently as possible with support. All of the people were living with a learning, physical or sensory disability or mental health needs. There were 62 people using the service at the time of this inspection.

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 who had been registered with CQC since February 2018. A registered manager is a person who has registered with CQC to manage the service. Like 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 our last inspection in November 2015 we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People said they felt safe with the staff and they had a say in who supported them. Staff had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults and knew how to report any concerns.

The provider checked new staff before they started work to make sure they were suitable. Staff had relevant training and received regular supervisions and appraisals.

Risk assessments were in place to support people’s independence. Any accidents and incidents were appropriately recorded and checked by the provider. People were assisted with their medicines in a safe way.

People’s needs were assessed before they started using the service to make sure the service could provide their support. If necessary, people were assisted with shopping and preparing meals to make sure they had good nutritional health.

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 supported to be included in their local community and lived ordinary, fulfilled lives as local citizens.

Staff were matched to the people they visited. There were friendly relationships between people and staff. People were empowered to make their own choices and decisions.

Staff were respectful of people’s individuality. United Response provided information for people in the way that met their communication styles.

The service had detailed records about each person. These included information about how they communicated, how they made decisions, what their preference were and what they could do themselves. Staff used this guidance to provide personalised support.

People and relatives knew how to make a complaint and were confident about contacting the management team at any time.

There was a strong management team with clear lines of responsibility. The provider had clear quality assurance systems to check the service. The provider also had a five-year vision and plan about how to continuously develop the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Cumbria DCA is a branch of United Response (UR), a large national charitable organisation that provide a range of services primarily to people with a learning disability. Cumbria DCA is a domiciliary care agency that provides care for people who live in Carlisle, Eden and West Cumbria. The agency provides care to people in their own homes, either living on their own or living with other people. People in receipt of the support from Cumbria DCA may have a learning disability or require support to manage their mental health needs.

There was a registered manager employed at the service. 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.

Everyone we spoke with told us that this was a good service and said they would recommend it to other people.

People told us that the staff who supported them knew how to provide their care and had been supported to take part in a wide variety of activities. Some said they never imagined that this would be possible and their quality of life had hugely improved through the efforts of the staff.

People were treated with kindness and respect and were included in all decisions about their care. Care staff knew how to protect people’s privacy and supported people to maintain their independence.

The service demonstrated that they were aware of people’s capacity and documented this in people’s written records of care.

The service had sufficient staff available to support people. Safe systems were used when new staff were recruited to ensure they were suitable to work in people’s homes.

Care plans were written in a straightforward manner and based on thorough assessments. They contained sufficient information to enable people to be supported correctly. The service managed medicines appropriately.

There was a newly developed, clearer management structure to ensure the service was running in a way that was more efficient and effective in supporting staff and to ensure the quality of the service offered to people.

People who used the service were confident that action would be taken if they raised any concerns. The registered manager asked people for their views about the care they received and acted in response to their feedback.

There was a quality assurance system in place at the service. The outcomes of audits were analysed by the registered manager of the service and by the organisation’s head office and these were used them to improve the way the service was run.

We spoke to mental health professionals who said that the agency was good at communicating and was an effective partner to work with in supporting people with a range of complex health and mental health needs to live meaningful lives in the community. Saying, 'It's like a breath of fresh air, the agency is so positive and really knows what positive risk taking is all about.'

People receiving support from the agency told us they were, 'extremely happy" and 'thoroughly satisfied'. One family said, 'They have been a godsend to our family. The care is very flexible and you can tell the staff have been well trained.' Another relative said, "I can say exactly what I feel to the agency, and they listen and act. They treat me as an equal."

One person we spoke with said, 'I tell the staff what I would like to do'. Everyone we spoke with said that the agency and staff were reliable and approachable.

The agency had in place all the necessary equipment to support the operation of a busy domiciliary care agency. People were protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care and treatment because accurate and appropriate records were maintained.

The staff we spoke with told us they knew the support to be provided to individuals because this was clearly recorded in the support plans which people had in their homes. Staff we spoke with all commented positively about the training and support they received. People we spoke with told us United Response was well managed and said they received a good service which met their needs. People said they felt safe receiving care from the agency and told us, 'The service is excellent, we've been really pleased with it' and 'I've recommended other people to use them.'