Background to this inspection
Updated
2 August 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. 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 was carried out by one inspector and an 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.
Service and service type
This service provides care and support to people living in 15 ‘supported living’ settings, 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
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with five with people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the registered manager. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care records and medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found. We looked at risk assessments and quality assurance records.
Updated
2 August 2019
About the service
Aspirations Care is a supported living service.
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. At the time of inspection 14 people were receiving support with personal care.
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 were safe living at the service. Risks to people had been identified and staff knew how to keep people safe from harm and abuse. People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff who had been safely recruited. Medicines were safely managed by staff who were trained and assessed as competent. Staff had training in food hygiene and infection control and followed good practice to prevent contamination and the spread of infection.
Staff had the skills and knowledge to support people effectively. Staff felt well supported and had access to advice and guidance when needed. People were assisted to have enough to eat and drink which met their needs and preferences. People’s health needs were met in a timely way to maintain their health and wellbeing. 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.
Staff were kind and caring and had developed positive relationships with people. Staff knew how to communicate with people to help them express their views and feel listened to. People’s privacy and dignity was respected and staff promoted their independence. People were supported to maintain relationships that were important to them.
People received care and support which met their individual needs and wishes and were supported to access a range of activities and opportunities within their local community which reflected their interests and promoted their social inclusion. There were systems in place to respond to complaints and the service invited feedback from people which was listened to and acted upon. Staff received training in end of life care however people’s wishes around this had not always been explored or documented.
We have made a recommendation about recording people’s preferences for end of life care.
The management team were open, accessible and committed to providing person centred care. There were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service. The staff team worked in partnership with other professionals to improve outcomes for people.
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. (Report published 11 January 2017)
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.