Archived: ECL Office

ECL Office provides personal care and support to adults living in ‘supported living’ settings, so that they can live as independently as possible. The service is run from an office in Maidstone. This supported living service meets the needs of people with learning disabilities, autism and people with more complex health needs such as epilepsy. At the time of this inspection there were 15 people receiving personal care.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People had been supported to live the life they had chosen, and had been supported to be an active member of the community. People appeared comfortable and relaxed in the presence of staff; observation showed people smiling and giving eye contact.

Staff had been trained and were clear on the action to take if they suspected abuse. Potential safeguarding concerns had been reported to the local authority, audits detailing any actions that required completing were monitored by the senior management team.

Risks had been mitigated and staff understood each person’s specifics risks. Staff understood how to support people at times of heightened anxiety where they may display behaviour that challenged themselves or others. Checks took place to promote health and safety within each service.

People received their commissioned hours of support. Support hours were planned around people’s activities at times they had specified. Staff were recruited safely and, were given the opportunity to make any suggestions or to raise any concerns they had about their role.

Medicines were managed safety and people received their medicines as prescribed. Staff had been trained and followed detailed protocols for each person and their specific needs. Staff had been trained in infection control and understood the importance of reducing the risk of infection.

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.

Feedback and views were sought and acted on from people, staff and relatives. There was an open, inclusive, person centred culture within the organisation where staff felt valued in their role. Staff worked in partnership with people, relatives and external health care professionals to ensure a consistent approach to meeting people’s needs.

Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service people received. A range of checks and audits were completed to ensure people received a high-quality service. Manager’s held debriefing sessions with staff following an incident to identify any potential actions to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. The service supported people to reach their potential whilst maximising independence. People's houses were treated as their home with staff supporting people to live the life they have chosen. People were at the centre of all decisions and involved in their care and support.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection – The last rating for this service was Good (published 20 November 2019).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to one particular supported living service in relation to safeguarding incidents, staffing levels and person-centred care. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.

We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.

The overall rating for the service has remained Good. This is based on the findings at this inspection. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for ECL Office 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.

This supported living service meets the needs of people with learning disabilities, autism and people with more complex health needs such as epilepsy.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensured that people who used the service could live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that included control, choice and independence. People lived in small groups in different community supported living services' in Kent. People received planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

People’s experience of using this service:

We observed safe care throughout our inspection. People consistently told us they felt safe living in their community and they were safe with the staff who supported them. One person said, “I am happy living here, this is home.” They also told us that staff supported them to do the things they needed but their independence was respected. People told us about the work and volunteering opportunities they participated in. People told us how staff helped them plan and achieve their life goals and aspirations. A relative said, “My relative's support team have really made my relatives home into a lovely, comfortable home, it is very homely and welcoming. There is a relaxed and happy atmosphere.”

People told us their needs were met and staff spoke with them about their care and offered them choices. People’s needs were assessed and written in a care plan. The care plans were consistently updated.

Risks were assessed within the service, both to individual people and for the wider risk from the environment people lived in. Actions to minimise risks were recorded. Staff understood the steps they should take to minimise risks when they were identified.

The care offered was inclusive and based on policies about Equality, Diversity and Human Rights. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the provider policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff were aware of their responsibility to assist people to maintain their health and wellbeing. This included health monitoring with GP’s and community learning disability teams.

The provider’s health and safety policies and management plans were implemented by staff to protect people from harm. Staff received training so that they understood their responsibilities to protect people from harm. Staff were encouraged and supported to raise any concerns they may have.

Medicines were administered safely by trained staff. Staff reduced the risk of infection by following infection control practice like safe hand washing and using gloves when providing personal care.

Staff were deployed in the right numbers to meet people's needs and choices. Background checks were made on new staff. The provider recruited staff with relevant experience and the right attitude to work with people who had learning disabilities. When possible, people were involved in the recruitment and choice of the staff who would work with them.

Staff were supervised to maintain the standards of care. Staff received supervision and attended meetings that assisted them in maintaining their skills and knowledge of social care.

Working in community settings staff often had to work on their own, but they were provided with good support and an ‘Outside Office Hours’ number to call during evenings and at weekends if they had concerns about people.

Audits undertaken were based on cause and effect learning analysis, to improve quality. Staff understood their roles in meeting the expected quality levels and staff were empowered to challenge poor practice.

People, care manager's, relative's and staff had the opportunity to share their views about the service.

The service was not providing end of life care at the time of this inspection.

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 07 August 2018 and this was the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a comprehensive inspection. The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about whether people were being protected from potential abuse. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. We found the registered manager had taken steps to minimise the risks posed by potential abuse.

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.