During an assessment under our new approach
This service is a care at home agency which is also registered to provide supported living. The service provides support to people with a learning disability and autistic people and people who require specialist support related to their needs. At the time of the inspection the provider was supporting 11 people, each living in their own supported living bungalow.
We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.
This inspection was prompted in part by the notification of an incident where a person died. This incident is subject to further investigation by CQC as to whether any regulatory action should be taken. As a result, this inspection did not examine the circumstances of the incident. However, the information shared with CQC about the incident indicated potential concerns and this inspection examined those risks.
We found 6 breaches of the legal regulations. These breaches were in relation to safe care and treatment, safeguarding, consent for care, person-centred care, dignity and respect and good governance.
People were not protected from the risk of harm and abuse. Risks to people’s safety were not well managed. The provider did not have safe processes in place to respond to concerns and allegations of abuse. Incidents were not promptly investigated and the provider did not have a robust process in place to identify areas of learning and improvement.
People’s care was not person-centred. People were not treated with dignity and respect at all times. People’s capacity to make decisions and give consent was not effectively assessed and documented. People’s care was not consistently delivered in line with their assessed needs. People’s medicines were not always managed safely.
The provider had not ensured staff were appropriately trained and competent to meet the specialised needs of people using the service. Staff and leaders did not demonstrate a positive, compassionate and listening culture. The provider did not have effective governance processes in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service. Concerns were not promptly identified and addressed.
This service is being placed in special measures. The purpose of special measures is to ensure that services providing inadequate care make significant improvements. Special measures provide a framework within which we use our enforcement powers in response to inadequate care and provide a timeframe within which providers must improve the quality of the care they provide.
In instances where CQC have decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, we will publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded.