We carried out a review of the data available to us about Intrinsic Care on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Intrinsic Care, you can give feedback on this service.
Intrinsic Care is an agency providing personal care to people in a supported living service. At the time of the inspection there were 15 people living at the service, of which only five received a regulated activity.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People we spoke to told us they felt safe. A person told us, “This [service] is 10 out of 10. The staff here are amazing, they do everything for me and help me to stay well.”
Staff told us, “It’s such a good place to work. I love what we do, it's very rewarding and feel like we are making a difference to people’s lives.”
People had individual care plans and risk assessments created with them. This put people at the centre of planning and focused on achieving good outcomes. Staff knew people well, their likes and dislikes and who or what was important to them.
Risks to people were identified and were mitigated by detailed risk management plans.
People and their relatives told us that they were safe, and staff knew how to minimise potential harm.
There were adequate levels of staff to support people to remain safe balanced against respecting peoples need for space. One person told us, “The staff are not ‘space invaders,’ they get it just right; they help me but aren’t too intrusive.”
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 invited to visit the service and spend time there, before making a decision to use the service. This enabled people the opportunity to determine if they felt comfortable in the environment, with staff and other people who lived there.
People were involved in the recruitment of new staff. They participated in interviews and were regularly asked by the registered manager for feedback on staff performance.
Staff protected people's privacy and dignity and encouraged people to maintain their independence by enabling them to do as much as possible for themselves.
Staff training was up to date and relevant.
The registered manager promoted an open and transparent culture within the service and feedback from people we spoke to supported this.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (Published December 2019) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Effective and Well-led which contain those requirements.
The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Intrinsic Care on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Intrinsic Care is an agency providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection four people who had mental health needs and lived in a shared supported living scheme were receiving a service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People could not be sure only suitable staff had been employed to support them, as the provider had not always used robust recruitment practices.
The monitoring procedures in place were not effective which could compromise the quality and safety of the service people received.
Individual risk assessments did not always provide the detail needed to keep people safe. We have made a recommendation about this. People and their relatives told us they were safe and staff knew how to keep them safe. There were enough staff to provide the support and flexibility people needed.
People were met with before they moved into the service to complete an initial assessment. This enabled the provider to make sure staff had the skills to provide people’s support. Staff received the training, support and supervision they needed to carry out their role and achieve their personal development goals. When people needed assistance with eating a balanced diet and taking care of their physical and mental health, this was provided in a flexible way to meet their present needs.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Some management plans in place to support people during times which posed particular risk were not appropriate within a supported living setting. We have made a recommendation about this.
People’s support was individual, planned and provided in a way that put them at the centre of planning. People were encouraged to develop a recovery plan to help them to achieve their goals. Staff knew people well, their likes, dislikes and what and who was important to them.
There was an open culture, led by the provider, who was described by people, relatives and staff as being approachable and supportive. People knew the provider and were relaxed and enjoyed their company. The provider had a good oversight of the supported living service, visiting at least once a day.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 1 February 2018 and this is the first inspection. The service was not providing personal care services until April 2019.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the date of registration and when regulated activities commenced.
Enforcement
We have identified two breaches in relation to recruitment procedures and quality monitoring at this inspection.
Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.