Updated 15 May 2019
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team:
The inspection team consisted of one adult social care inspector and an Expert-by Experience. The Expert-by-Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type:
Ambito Community Services Lancashire is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care and support to individuals within their own homes throughout the local community. Not everyone using Ambito Community Services Lancashire received personal care support. CQC only inspects the service received by people provided with their personal care and help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating.
Ambito Community Services Lancashire provides care and support to people living in a supported living setting, so that they can live 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 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.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection:
The provider was given 48 hours' notice because the location provides a care service to people who lived in the community. We needed to be sure that we could access the office premises.
Inspection site visit activity started on 30 April 2019 and ended on 30 April 2019. We visited the office location on 30 April 2019 to see the registered manger; and to review care records and policies and procedures.
What we did:
Before our inspection we completed our planning tool and reviewed the information we held on the service. This included notifications we had received from the provider, about incidents that affect the health, safety and welfare of people supported by the service.
We checked to see if any information concerning the care and welfare of people supported by the service had been received. We also contacted the commissioning department at Lancashire County Council. This helped us to gain a balanced overview of what people experienced accessing the service.
As part of the inspection we used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Returns. 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.
During the inspection visit we spoke with a range of people about the service. They included nine relatives of people who used the service. These included people living in the community and living in supporting living houses. We also went to Ambito Community Services Lancashire office and spoke with a range of people about the service. They included the registered manager, team leader and three staff members. We looked at the care records of three people, the services training matrix, arrangements for staff recruitment, supervision and appraisal, medication and records relating to the management of the service.