Background to this inspection
Updated
5 July 2019
The inspection: 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: This inspection was carried out by two inspectors and one expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. This person had experience of this type of service.
Service and service type: This service is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care and support to younger and older people with a physical, sensory or learning disability and autism living in their own homes.
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: We gave the service five days’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed contact details of people and their families to seek their views about the service. Also, we needed to ensure the registered manager was available. As the registered manager was unavailable, two deputy managers arranged to meet with us to undertake the inspection.
The inspection activity started on 29 May 2019. We visited the office location on 4 June 2019 to meet staff and to review care records and policies and procedures. Emails were sent to staff and professionals and calls made to people who used the service and their families.
What we did: Providers are required to send us key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We reviewed this information to help plan our inspection.
We spoke with nine people and eight relatives and visited four people at home. We also spoke with two deputy operations managers, one manager, six members of staff and received written information from another four. Information was provided about the service by five professionals.
We looked at information relating to the management of the service, which had been developed and implemented by the provider. This included 10 support plans, 11 staff training and recruitment files and audits and quality assurance records.
The manager sent us additional information after the office visit as requested which we looked at as part of our judgement making.
Updated
5 July 2019
About the service: This service is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care and support to younger and older people with a physical, sensory or learning disability and autism living in their own homes. Some people lived in ‘supported living’ settings so they could live as independently as possible. People’s care and housing were provided under separate contractual agreements. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) does not regulate premises used for supported living; this inspection looked at people’s personal care only. At the time of the inspection, it was providing support and care to 74 people.
People’s experience of using this service: People received an exceptionally responsive service. Staff and management put people at the heart of everything they did and people received a truly personalised service.
Staff had a thorough understanding of people's needs and enabled them to direct their own lives with support. Staff found innovative ways of managing risks alongside people’s rights and freedom to have a good quality of life.
People were supported by consistent staff. Enough staff were available to ensure people's wellbeing, safety and security were protected. A robust recruitment and selection process was in place.
People experienced 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.
Staff were provided with induction, training and supervision to ensure they could meet people’s needs. People had their medicines given to them as prescribed and hygiene procedures were followed to prevent the risk of infection.
Positive relationships had developed between people, staff and people’s relatives. People and their families were involved with care planning and staff knew people well and could explain their histories and personal preferences.
Support plans included clear guidance for staff, so they could follow a structured approach to providing person centred care. Processes were in place to support people at the end of their life.
The service was very well managed. The provider sought the views of people who used the service and monitored the quality of the service people received. Spot checks, reviews of people’s support and audits were carried out on a regular basis to ensure the service delivered high quality care.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection: The previous inspection under the provider Family Mosaic Housing was rated as Good (23 November 2016).
Why we inspected: This was a planned first inspection of the new provider Peabody South East Limited.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive, and inspect the service if risk is indicated.