The Care Quality Commission
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Archived: Autism Plus

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

2 Bridge Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S3 8NS (0114) 384 0300

Provided and run by:
Autism Plus Limited

Important: This service was previously registered at a different address - see old profile

All Inspections

31 August 2017

During a routine inspection

At the last inspection in July 2014 the service was rated Good.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Autism Plus' on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

At this inspection on 31 August and 18 September 2017 we found the service remained Good. The service met all relevant fundamental standards.

Autism Plus supports people in their own homes and provides supported living for people with autistic spectrum conditions. The agency office is based in Sheffield city centre. At the time of our inspection 13 people were using the service. Since our last inspection the service has changed its statement of purpose and only provides care and support for people requiring over 28 hours a week.

The service did not have a registered manager. 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. However, the provider had appointed a new manager and at our visit on 18 September 2017 the new manager showed us evidence they had commenced the process of registering with CQC.

Staff we spoke with were knowledgeable regarding signs of potential abuse and how to recognise abuse. They were also aware of the reporting procedures. Assessments in care files identified risks to people and management plans were in place to reduce risks to enable people to live an independent lifestyle.

We received positive feedback from both the people we spoke with and their relatives. They all told us the service provided good care that was safe.

Recruitment procedures ensured the right staff were employed to meet people’s needs safely.

Medication systems were in place to ensure people received medication as prescribed and safely. Staff had received training to administer medications safely. However, systems were being improved at the time of our inspection.

At the time of the inspection there was sufficient staff on duty to meet people’s needs. People and their relatives whom we spoke with told us that there had been problems with consistency of staff but this was improving and there were adequate staff to meet people’s needs and facilitate regular activities in the community.

Staff supported people to enable choice and control of their lives and people were supported in the least restrictive way possible.

People were treated with dignity and respect. People told us that the staff who supported them were kind and very caring. Staff we spoke with understood how to respect people’s preferences and ensure their privacy and dignity was maintained.

There was a system in place to tell people how to raise concerns and how these would be managed. Relatives we spoke with told us they hadn’t had to raise any concerns but wouldn’t hesitate if required.

There were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. Action plans were implemented for any improvements required and these were followed by staff. The quality monitoring had identified that some improvements were required in the quality of the paperwork and documentation in care plans and medication records. These improvements had been commenced.

Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities and had access to policies and procedures to inform and guide them.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

19 and 20 August 2015

During a routine inspection

We carried out this inspection on 19 and 20 August 2015. The provider was given 48 hours notice of the inspection, because of the type of service they provide.

The service was last inspected on 15, 16 and 18 July 2014 and was not meeting the legal requirements of the regulations for service quality, medication, safeguarding, involving people who use the service, staffing levels, staff recruitment, and supporting staff. The provider sent us a plan of actions that they would take to meet the legal requirements in relation to each breach in regulation. The provider told us they would be meeting all regulations by 30 June 2015. We followed up on these breaches during our inspection and found improvements had been made in all areas.

Autism Plus supports people living in their own homes and also provides supported living for people with autistic spectrum disorders. The agency office is based in Sheffield city centre. At the time of our inspection the service was providing personal care for 43 people.

It is a condition of registration with the Care Quality Commission that there is 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. There was a manager present during the first day of our inspection who told us they were in the process of registering with the Care Quality Commission.

Most of the people we asked were positive or very positive about the service they received.

There were sufficient numbers of staff, with appropriate experience, training and skills to meet people’s needs at the required times.

The staff recruitment process was comprehensive and ensured the safety of people was promoted.

People were protected from abuse and the service followed adequate and effective safeguarding procedures.

Staff were trained in medicine management and medication records were accurately completed.

Staff told us they were supported by management and received regular supervision.

People told us and we saw that staff were caring and respectful. Staff knew people well and promoted their independence.

People were supported and encouraged to access a wide range of activities.

There were now systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. Regular checks and audits were undertaken to make sure full and safe procedures were adhered to.

Not all care plans contained a completed mental capacity or best interest assessment where appropriate. Care plans did contain detailed person centred information.

During our inspection, we found one breach of regulation 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) 2014, Good governance. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.

15/07/2014, 16/07/2014 and 18/07/2014

During a routine inspection

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, and to pilot a new process being introduced by CQC which looks at the overall quality of the service.

This inspection was announced. This agency was last inspected in June 2013 and they were not in breach of any regulations at that time.

Autism Plus supports people in their own homes and also provides supported living for people with autistic spectrum conditions. The agency office is based in Sheffield city centre. At the time of our inspection the service was providing personal care for 49 people.

There was a registered manager in post at the service. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider.

At this inspection people who used the service and their relatives told us that when the regular care workers visited they felt safe and were confident staff would protect them from unnecessary harm. However they said they did not always know who was going to be caring for them unless care workers told them. Some people had advance notice of the staff who would be attending to them which they found useful. This meant not all the people knew who would be attending to their care needs and support.

Care worker vacancies had put regular staff under pressure. This resulted in late calls, rushed calls and some medication errors.

The provider had not followed a robust recruitment process. This meant not all the necessary information about the staff had been obtained which helps employers make safer recruitment decisions.

Staff had a good understanding of how to safeguard people and the process for reporting any allegations of abuse. However staff told us that they were unable to keep all of the people safe as the manager did not take necessary action to deal with some people’s challenging behaviour.

We saw the induction process and staff told us they received an effective induction and only when they were ready were they allowed to work unsupervised.

Staff supervisions and appraisals did not take place regularly. This meant care workers were not sufficiently supported and supervised by the provider to carry out their jobs.

We observed and received comments from relatives that people received information and explanations from staff in a way that they could understand and people were not rushed to make decisions. They said regular staff who knew them well communicated with people in a way they understood.

Care workers and team leaders took responsibility for organising access to education, work or activities for people in line with their aspirations. We observed this during our inspection visits.

The provider had systems in place to audit and carry out ongoing monitoring of the service. However we found the systems in place to monitor quality were not always effective in practice in ensuring improvements were identified, implemented and sustained.

At our inspection we found a number of breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.

25 June 2013

During a routine inspection

During our inspection we found that some people who used the service had complex needs and were not able to verbally communicate their views and experiences to us. These individuals were reliant on staff to meet their physical, emotional and social needs. People who could communicate with us told us that staff treated people with respect, protected their dignity and had professional, positive relationships. One person said, "they (staff) are there when I need them. They knock on the door. Staff are friendly and polite, I call them aunties and uncles as they are like one big family to me.'

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. People who used the service told us that they were happy with the care and support they received from Autism Plus.

People who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening.

People were cared for, or supported by, suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff.

The provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people receive.