Archived: Churchview Care Services (Taunton)

Church View Care Services (Taunton) provides personal care and a range of support services to people living in their own homes. At the time of the inspection there were 41 people being supported by the service.

The service provided domiciliary support to people in their own homes and a supported living service. A supported living service is where people have a tenancy agreement with a landlord and receive their care and support from a care provider. As the housing and care arrangements were entirely separate, people can choose to change their care provider if they wished without losing their home.

During our inspection the registered manager was present. 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.

The service demonstrated a strong and visible person centred culture and they were committed to providing a service which put people at the heart of everything they did. People felt safe, had trust in the staff who visited them and knew who to contact if they were worried about their safety. One person said “I feel very safe with the support I receive”. Staff were able to recognise different forms of abuse, understood the provider's safeguarding and whistle blowing procedures and knew who to contact if they had any concerns.

The registered manager was committed, knowledgeable and organised within their leadership. They provided clear and confident guidance and demonstrated strong values in all aspects of their role. Staff consistently told us they felt well supported and valued and they were very happy at work. The culture at the service was open, transparent and welcoming. One care worker told us, “I love my job and all the people I work with, we are like one big family”.

There were sufficient staff at the service to provide care and support to people. Appropriate recruitment checks were undertaken before staff started work. People managed their own medicines independently; however staff had received training if they ever need to offer additional support.

The service managed people's risk and kept people safe, whilst ensuring they had a full and meaningful life. Staff had received training in how to recognise and report

abuse and were confident any allegations would be taken seriously and investigated to help ensure people were protected.

Care was planned and delivered in a way that was personalised to each person. Staff monitored people’s healthcare needs and, where changes in needs were identified, care was adjusted to make sure people continued to receive care which met their needs and supported their independence. People were at the centre of decision making about their care. One person told us, “My keyworkers always sits with me and we talk about how things are going. They talk about my care plan and makes changes if we need to”. People confirmed they received regular support from staff they knew well.

Care records were personalised, up to date and accurately reflected people's care and support needs. The care plans included information about peoples' likes, interests and background and provided staff with sufficient information to enable them to provide care effectively. The service actively built links with the local community that enhanced people's sense of wellbeing and quality of life. People were supported to participate in activities, hobbies and work placements

It was clear that staff understood people's needs and how to communicate with people. Staff had supported people to use information which helped them communicate more easily.

All staff had a clear understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how to make sure people who did not have the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves had their legal rights protected. They were aware of when someone may need to receive a mental capacity assessment and who to report this to. A care worker said, “We know people we support can make bad decisions but that is their right. Our job is to respect their decision but make sure we have control measures in place to keep them safe.”

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and plan on-going improvements. People using the service and staff felt involved and able to make suggestions or raise concerns.

The provider and registered manager demonstrated an understanding of the importance of effective quality monitoring. The systems in place enabled checks of the service provided to people and to ensure they were able to express their views so improvements could be made.

Complaints, concerns and feedback were taken seriously and used as an opportunity to improve the service. The registered manager had informed the CQC of significant events. Records were accurate, well maintained and kept securely.

Is the service safe?

Staff were trained to recognise safeguarding alerts and confident to raise concerns to the manager.

The provider employed sufficient numbers of staff to support people using the service safely.

Staff personnel records contained all information required. This meant staff employed were suitable and had the skills and experience needed to support people who used the service.

Care records were retained in people's homes, with duplicates kept in the manager's office and only accessed by authorised employees.

Is the service effective?

People can be reassured their needs will be met at this service. Each person had an individual care plan which detailed their care needs.

People we met told us they were happy with the staff support they received. Staff had a good understanding of people's care and welfare and knew people well. One relative told us, "I can't speak highly enough of them all.'

There was a safe procedure for recruiting staff and for making sure they had the skills and knowledge to support people in this service.

Staff training was designed to meet the needs of the people using the service.

Is the service caring?

People using the service were supported by kind and attentive staff. Staff demonstrated patience and respect when they supported people.

Staff did not rush people. One relative said, 'The staff always give us all the time we need to get to the bank and pay the bills.'

A survey had been sent to families was complimentary, with comments such as, 'Staff are polite and nice,' and, 'the care for our Mum is wonderful.'

Is the service responsive?

People's needs had been assessed before they used the service. Care records reflected people's individual needs and described staff interventions.

People told us they regularly met with their keyworkers to update their care plans where necessary. One person said, 'I look forward to meeting my keyworker to get things done.'

People using the service were supported to access activities and maintain relationships with friends and relatives as they chose.

Is the service well-led?

People's personal care records were accurate and complete. All risks had been assessed, and safeguards put in place where necessary.

Staff had a good understanding of the aims of the service, were clear about their roles and responsibilities and were regularly supervised by their team leader and manager.

There was a robust quality assurance process in place. The manager audited all aspects of the service provided, monitored complaints and issued annual questionnaires to people using the service and staff.

People praised the staff who supported them and the flexibility of the service. People told us that they were able to vary the support they needed. Some people arranged to have less support on one day so they could have more on another day.

Staff were trained to assist people with their medicines according to their assessed needs. People were encouraged and supported to be as independent as possible when managing their medicines.

The agency had systems in place to monitor and assess the quality of the service and to keep people safe. People's views and experiences were taken into account in the way the service was provided and delivered in relation to their care.

We observed that people who used the service appeared comfortable and relaxed with the members of staff supporting them.

The agency had policies and procedures in place for recognising and reporting abuse and whistle blowing and was taking steps to keep people safe in their daily living.

Staff knew people well and were confident about the support they needed. We gathered evidence that confirmed there was an on-going training programme which aimed to develop staff skills and knowledge to meet people's individual needs.

The agency had comprehensive systems in place to monitor the quality of the service offered. The provider and the manager worked together on the quality assurance measures. They visited people in their homes and maintained regular and thorough audits of the service.