Background to this inspection
Updated
16 October 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.
Service and service type
The service provides care and support to people in five supported living settings so 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 CQC. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and the safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection and we wanted to be sure that there would be people at home to speak with us.
Inspection activity started on 11th September 2019 and ended on 12th September 2019. We visited the office location on 12th September 2019.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This information included statutory notifications the provider had sent to CQC. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
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.
During the inspection
During the inspection, we visited the registered office and spoke with the registered manager and area operations manager. We visited four people in two supported living schemes and spoke with one team leader and three staff members. We also spoke with one person who used the service and we observed care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We also spoke with one relative about their experience of the service.
We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including supervision records, quality assurance systems and policies and procedures.
Updated
16 October 2019
Respite North West is a domiciliary care service. It provides personal care to people living in their own homes and provides care and support to people living in five ”supported living tenancies” so that they can live as independently as possible.
The service provides support to adults living with mental health needs, a learning disability or an autistic spectrum disorder.
At the time of inspection Respite North West was providing a service to 37 people in two geographical areas, Stockport and Rochdale. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. The Care Quality Commission 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 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 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.
The Secretary of State has asked CQC to conduct a thematic review and to make recommendations about the use of restrictive intervention practices (restraint, seclusion and segregation) when supporting people. As part of thematic review, we carried out a survey with the registered manager at this inspection. This considered whether the service used any restrictive intervention practices (restraint, seclusion and segregation) when supporting people.
The service used some restrictive intervention practices, as a last resort, in line with positive behaviour support principles.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were protected from the risk of abuse and avoidable harm by staff who understood how to recognise and respond to concerns. People told us staff were available when they needed them and they felt safe in their care. People were safely supported to receive their medicines as prescribed.
People's needs were assessed, and care and support had been planned. However, we found that the quality of paperwork was varied. Although we saw some evidence of person centred plans, it was not consistent and we could see the service was in the process of implementing more in depth paperwork. People were provided with a nutritious and varied diet. Staff had received regular training and supervision to support them to meet people's needs. People were supported to have 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.
People told us staff were kind, caring, attentive and treated them with respect. We saw that staff had a good rapport with people and they were treated with dignity and respect. People received care which was responsive to their needs. The registered manager managed people's concerns and complaints appropriately and people told us they felt listened to.
The registered manager worked in partnership with a variety of agencies to ensure people received all the support they needed. Staff felt valued and well supported by the registered manager and the wider management team. The registered manager and provider completed regular audits and checks, which ensured appropriate levels of quality and safety were maintained at the home.
The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.
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 10/10/2018 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned first inspection.
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.