Archived: Fiveways

Updated 9 January 2020

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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type

This service 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 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

This inspection was announced. We gave the service two days’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small, and people are often out, and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

The inspection site visit took place on 6 December 2019.

What we did before the inspection

Our inspection was informed by evidence we already held about the service. We also checked for feedback we received from members of the public, the local authority and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs).

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people using the service and one relative, the deputy manager, regional manager and one support workers. We communicated with the registered manager after the inspection via email. We reviewed two people’s care records, medicines records, two staff files, audits and other records about the management of the service.

Updated 9 January 2020

About the service

Fiveways is a supported living service providing personal care to people within one house. At the time of our inspection six people with learning disabilities were living at the home.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

People received the support they needed in relation to their individual risks. People were supported with their medicines safely. There were enough staff to support people safely. Suitable recruitment checks were carried out on staff. Staff followed good infection control practices and received training to understand their responsibilities.

Staff received the regular training in a range of topics to help them understand people’s needs, including those relating to people’s learning disabilities and autism. People received the support they needed to maintain their day to day health. People planned, shopped for and cooked their own meals. 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.

People were cared for by staff who understood them well and were kind. Staff treated people with dignity and respect and people determined the care they wanted. Each person had an activity programme in place based on their individual hobbies and interests and some people were involved in campaigns for the rights of people with learning disabilities. People were supported to attend group events, including many for people with learning disabilities arranged by the provider. Staff understood people’s communication needs well. The provider had a suitable process in place to respond to any concerns or complaints.

A registered manager was in post and people, a relative and staff had confidence in them. Our inspection findings showed they understood their role and responsibilities, as did staff. The registered manager engaged well with people, relatives and staff to hear their view and update them on service developments. The provider had good oversight of the service with checks and audits of every aspect of the service to ensure standards remained high.

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

Rating at last inspection

This was our first inspection of the service since it registered with us in November 2018.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the date the service registered with us.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.