During an assessment under our new approach
Date of Assessment: 18 March 2025 to 17 April 2025. The service is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to older people, younger adults, people living with physical disabilities, and dementia, mental health conditions and learning disabilities. This assessment was in response to CQC receiving information of concern.
We expecthealth and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Rightsupport, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQCfollows to make assessments and judgements about services supportingpeople with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.
People did not have support when they needed it, and this meant risks to people’s safety was not always managed. Inconsistent staff teams meant staff did not always understand people’s support needs. Medicines administration systems were not always used effectively, and staff were not consistently aware of people’s health needs. The provider did not always have a learning culture in place as systems were ineffective. Recruitment processes were not effective and there was a lack of oversight systems in place to make and sustain improvements.
People had their needs assessed and care plans were in place to support them. People were supported to maintain safe environments and were safeguarded from abuse. People were supported to make choices about their support needs and staff were responsive to people’s needs. People had reviews of their care and consent was sought to offer care and support. Staff were caring and supported people to maintain their independence. People were supported with information in appropriate formats and understood how to raise complaints. Staff were supported by the provider and worked in partnership with others. Staff felt able to speak up when things were wrong, and the provider had systems in place to ensure people received equal treatment.
The provider was in breach of 2 of the legal regulations relating to recruitment of staff and governance systems.
We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.